


Gladnis week 2018

by determination



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M, Post-Episode Ignis Verse 2, bg established promptis, brotherhood era, clumsy!ignis, drunk!Gladio, established Gladnis, ignis has anxiety, mildly sexual situation...?, nyx only shows up for like 2 seconds lol, referenced clarus/regis, vaguely implied promptis, with a side of ignis x happiness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-20
Updated: 2018-08-27
Packaged: 2019-06-30 07:19:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 21,668
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15746967
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/determination/pseuds/determination
Summary: a collection of works for Gladnis week





	1. Impulsiveness

**Author's Note:**

> i don't have much to say about this, other than i'm hoping to post something for each day! i've got up to day 4 finished so far, so we'll see what i can do lol. i'll put which prompt i used as the title for each day. (also, i set the rating as t for one of the upcoming days lol)  
> a small summary for this day 1 fic: of domestic mornings and impulsive trips to appease little sisters  
> hope you enjoy, thanks for reading, and please no criticisms or critiques! <3

Gladio wakes up feeling a bit groggy, but otherwise well-rested and pleasantly warm. He can't tell what time it is, and when he opens one eye, he can see the curtains are still drawn. Settling further into bed, he's content to lie there with his eyes closed - that is, until he notices he's alone.

After taking a moment to stretch luxuriously, he sits up and reaches for his phone on the nightstand by his bed. 11:17 flashes at him as he turns the screen on. He frowns at it, then looks around the room. It's definitely too late for Ignis to still be in bed, but he's surprised that his boyfriend hadn't woken him when he'd gotten up. He only hopes Ignis had managed to get at least a bit more sleep, considering they have the day off.

Knowing his boyfriend, though, Ignis had most likely woken up at some ungodly hour, as usual. He's just hardwired that way. 

With a sigh, Gladio gets up and tugs on some sweatpants. He tries to locate the flannel he'd left on the floor by the bed, but it seems to have vanished. Settling for a tank instead, he heads for the bathroom to make himself presentable before making his way to find Ignis, wherever he'd gone. 

As he nears the kitchen, he smells something delicious, and decides the best option is to follow his nose. He's unsurprised to find Ignis at the stove, a stack of pancakes plated on the counter next to him. He is, however, surprised to see Iris sitting on the counter next to the plate, swinging her legs and happily chattering away to Gladio's boyfriend, who seems perfectly content to listen. 

Gladio watches the two of them for a second until Iris notices him and jumps down from the counter to run over and tackle him in a hug. Ignis gives him a warm smile that makes his insides tingle. His response grin must look a little dopey, as Ignis stifles a laugh against the back of his hand.

"Morning Gladdy!" Iris pipes up as she releases Gladio and returns to Ignis' side. She waits expectantly as Ignis picks her up and plants her back on the counter where'd she sat before. "Ignis is making pancakes!"

"I hope you didn't wake him up just for this," Gladio gives her an amused look.

"I didn't!" she instantly refutes, sticking her tongue out. 

When Gladio looks to his boyfriend for confirmation, Ignis nods his head. "She's telling the truth. I had just left your room when we ran into each other. I supposed the least I could do was offer my services." He lifts the spatula in his hand for emphasis, and Gladio chuckles, coming over to embrace him from behind and hook his arms around Ignis' hips.

Fiddling with the hem of the familiar flannel clothing Ignis' torso, Gladio murmurs, "was wonderin' where this went." Ignis' cheeks turn faintly pink, a small smile on his lips as Gladio nuzzles into his neck. 

"I hope you don't mind my borrowing it," his boyfriend says softly. 

"'Course not," Gladio grins, pressing a kiss to the skin before drawing back. "Hell, if anything else of mine comes even close to fitting ya, you're welcome to borrow whatever you like."

"Ignis you can borrow my clothes too if you want!" Iris chimes in eagerly. This earns a charmed laugh from Ignis, the sound widening Gladio's grin. 

"I appreciate the offer, Iris, thank you," Ignis assures her, patting her head with his free hand. 

The three of them converse while Ignis finishes up the pancakes, and then relocate to the dining room to eat. As always, the food is delicious; everything Ignis makes is. Both Amicitia siblings unabashedly dig in. 

"Please tell me you slept in," Gladio picks the conversation back up a short ways into the meal. He gives Ignis a pointed look across the table when Ignis doesn't answer. "We got the day off, Iggy. C'mon."

"Will it placate you to know that I tried?" Ignis says, averting his gaze to the plate in front of him. "I stayed in bed until ten, if it's any consolation."

"Yeah, but what time did you actually wake up?" 

Ignis politely wipes his mouth with a napkin to buy some time before replying. "Come now, Gladio, does it really matter?"

Gladio pouts, setting his fork down. "You could have at least woken me up. I coulda kept you company if you weren't gonna sleep."

"Be that as it may, I didn't want to disturb you," Ignis tells him, suppressing an amused smile. "You were quite peaceful. It was a nice view."

"Ooo, were you watching Gladdy sleep?" Iris butts in, eyes sparkling. "Doesn't he drool? And snore as loud as a behemoth?" 

"Hey," Gladio shoots her a glare, while Ignis laughs lightly.

"Nothing of the sort," Ignis says in good humor, and winks at Gladio. "In fact, I daresay he's rather angelic."

Gladio opens his mouth to protest, but he processes Ignis' words a second later, jaw hanging open. Heat flushes his cheeks. "You..." he mumbles, picking his fork back up and busying himself with another pancake. "How can you say stuff like that with a straight face?"

"Quite easily, I assure you," Ignis responds cheerily. 

From next to Gladio, Iris makes a face. "You sound like Daddy and His Majesty. Do all lovey-dovey couples talk like that? If I have to say that stuff, I don't wanna get married."

"We're not married! And neither are dad and the king!" Gladio blurts, even more flustered. He's at least somewhat relieved to see Ignis blush now, as well. "J-Just dating! They're not the same thing, Iris!" He lets out an exasperated sigh. Despite appearing embarrassed, Ignis is attempting and failing to stifle laughter. Which turns out to be contagious because Iris starts giggling and then Gladio isn't far behind. 

Gladio won't deny that thinking about Ignis and marriage in the same sentence is enough to make his heart go haywire - but that's clearly getting way ahead of himself. They've only been dating for a couple months, and he'd never dream about rushing things. In truth, he wants to go as slowly as possible to make sure Ignis feels comfortable, loved, and appreciated. Still, hearing Iris bring up marriage, even by mistake, had been a shock. 

The rest of the meal is spent talking about Iris' experiences in elementary school. Gladio knows for a fact when she embellishes a story to impress Ignis, but far be it from him to give her away, not when she's clearly enjoying herself. And Ignis, too, looks to be having fun, eyes shining as he encourages her with nods, chuckles, or words of acknowledgment. It feels very domestic, and Gladio can't help the swell in his chest to be able to share a morning like this with his boyfriend and his little sister. 

After they finish the meal and clean up, though, things quickly go south. 

"What do you mean I can't hang out with you?" Iris demands in a huff, ignoring the apologetic look Ignis gives her. 

"C'mon, Iris, we can hang out another time, alright?" Gladio tries to pacify her. It's not that he doesn't want to spend time with her, but... it's his and Ignis' day off, and he was looking forward to a lazy stay-in day. Alone. Just the two of them. Entertaining his little sister hadn't been part of the planning. 

His attempt, expectedly, fails. "But when will I ever get another chance to hang out with both of you for a whole day! You're always busy!" The younger girl folds her arms across her chest and stamps a foot on the ground. "And besides, you promised last time that we could hang out next time! Gladdy, you're being unfair!"

As if to spite him, Ignis sides with her. "Did you really promise her that?" One of his brows quirks up when Gladio bites his bottom lip rather than respond. "It's very ungentlemanly to go back on your word, you know." 

"Yeah!" Iris nods and echoes, "ungentlemanly!"

Gladio wants to argue, especially when he knows how much Ignis dislikes plans changing at the last minute. But he has to concede when he's lost. If Iris threw a tantrum, it'd just make everything else worse. So, he hangs his head and sighs. "... What do you wanna do, Iris?" 

In an instant, the younger girl's demeanor does a one-eighty. She beams and claps her hands together, glancing excitedly between her brother and his boyfriend. "Can we go somewhere fun together? Let's go somewhere fun together!" 

"What's that supposed to mean...?" Gladio gives her an exasperated look while Ignis tugs his phone out from his pocket, presumably to look something up. He seems to be taking this pretty well, all things considered.

"How about the aquarium?" Ignis offers after a pause. "Ticket prices are halved on weekends, and they have special tours for children." 

Iris takes to that idea very easily. "Yeah! I went there on a trip for school once! It was really cool but I didn't get to see everything because we had to do a worksheet about it and they wouldn't let us look at other stuff." She pouts a little, but immediately smiles again, toothy and enthusiastic. "Can we really go?"

"If Gladio has no objections," Ignis glances at him, "then I don't see why not."

The pair both turn to look at him now, and, with no other option, Gladio nods meekly. "Fine by me."

"Yaaaay, thank you so much Ignis and Gladdy!" The younger girl dashes over and tugs both of them into a bear hug. "I'll put on a pretty dress so I can impress all of the fish!"

"That is an excellent idea," Ignis tells her with a fond chuckle. 

With that, Iris rushes away, humming a tune as she goes. Ignis and Gladio watch until she's out of sight, then head for Gladio's room. "Honestly, I'm surprised. I thought you weren't the kinda person to make impulse decisions or change plans last second like that," Gladio admits sheepishly. "You sure you're cool with babysittin' Iris all afternoon?"

"Why wouldn't I be?" Ignis smiles and reaches up to squeeze Gladio's shoulder. "You know I adore your sister, Gladio. Besides, I think this could make for an enjoyable outing." He seems to mull something over before leaning in and planting a brief kiss to Gladio's lips. "Think of it as an impromptu date."

Gladio blushes and laughs lightly. "A date with my kid sister as the third wheel?"

"She'd be delighted," Ignis says, snickering.

When Ignis keeps Gladio's shirt on and trades sweatpants for slacks, tucking the shirt in, Gladio thinks the decision to go out for the day was actually a blessing in disguise. The shirt is definitely a little big on him, but flatteringly so, in a way that makes Gladio's heart race.  _ Damn _ , he looks good.

Later, when he and Ignis steal kisses in the beautifully lit jellyfish exhibit, he can definitively say the trip was worth it.


	2. Absolutely Drunk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> day 2:  
> of bars and alcohol-induced confessions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (this is mostly self-indulgent and me projecting onto ignis lol)  
> (also fyi tags will be updated with each chapter)

Ignis wouldn't say he hates alcohol. Certainly the taste leaves much to be desired. He's never had more than a few sips, though, in part because none of it suits his fancy, but also because he's read plenty of research that alcohol and anxiety medications are a bad mix, and he cares much more about his health than a measly drink. 

Despite this, it hasn't stopped him from meeting Gladio at bars to hang out. And even without drinking, Ignis must admit that the atmosphere is a refreshing change of pace. But that could also be because he enjoys being wherever Gladio is, though that part would be a tad more difficult to admit out loud. 

Gladio has a magical quality about him that Ignis thinks he'd be able to make even the most unremarkable, mundane, or uncomfortable situations seem fun and interesting. Even something like camping, which Ignis would have never imagined and definitely thought wouldn't appeal to him, sounds like a wonderful experience coming from Gladio's mouth. He somehow gets Ignis to break out of his comfort zone and try things he'd never have done on his own, and makes them feel tolerable (and dare he say  _ enjoyable _ ). For someone who'd struggled with anxiety for a good portion of his life, such a feat feels like a miracle. 

So he's thankful, really, that Gladio - extroverted, gregarious, genuine, compassionate Gladiolus Amicitia, who attracts people of all sorts with an ease that still amazes Ignis - has taken such a strong liking to him. 

Well, perhaps he shouldn't word it the way. It feels... unfair to attribute more to Gladio's feelings than is likely there. Sometimes he thinks the hints are out in the open, obvious and enticing, but then his anxiety kicks in and finds every reason why it would a logical impossibility for someone like Gladio to have any sort of romantic interest in someone like Ignis. 

It isn't even that Ignis has low self esteem. In fact, Ignis is pretty confident about himself and his accomplishments. He just can't fathom that Gladio, who could literally have anyone he wanted, could be attracted to...  _ him _ . 

Either way, he's unsurprised when, come Friday evening after he's ensured Noct has been fed and had actually gone over the reports Ignis brought earlier in the week, he receives a text from Gladio inviting him to one of the bars they've been frequenting lately. He doesn't attempt to hide the fond smile that spreads across his face as he reads the message, as friendly as Gladio always is when he's checking in to see if Ignis is free. Gladio's always been considerate, making sure that Ignis knows he can say no if he's busy, which he appreciates tremendously because his anxiety often convinces him that he should accept regardless of circumstances. 

"That Gladio?" Noct asks from the couch. Ignis' head shoots up from his phone before he can finish typing a reponse. 

"Wh- yes," he answers, brows furrowing. "How did you know?"

A lazy grin spreads across Noct's face. "You always get that look on your face when you talk to him." 

Ignis' heart pounds uncomfortably in his chest. "And what look, pray tell, might that be?" he inquires stiffly. 

"Dunno," Noct shrugs. He ignores Ignis' pointed stare as he turns the TV on and picks up the game controller from the couch cushion next to him. "It's this dopey little smile. You're not the smiliest person, so it's like... pretty obvious, Specs."

Ignis swallows hard. That can't be good. Is it the kind of thing Gladio would have noticed, as well? And if he had, would it have affected how Gladio saw him? Considering nothing notable had changed in their relationship, would it be safe to assume he either didn't care, or simply hadn't noticed? 

No, he should stop this line of thought. Worrying about it will contribute nothing. 

Ignis takes a deep breath and readies to send a response to Gladio confirming that he'll meet Gladio at the bar. Before he can tap the button, though, he receives another message from his friend, which surprises him. It's unlike him to send another so soon after the first, and before Ignis had replied, no less.

 

_ Gladio _

_ I know I said you're fine to turn me down if you're busy but I kinda hope you'll come. wanna see you tonight _

 

The message's contents make Ignis' heart skip a beat. This tone is unusual, to be sure. Gladio had never been so forthright about wanting to see him, tending to keep his invitations casual and vague (mostly to help Ignis feel comfortable). 

He rereads the message a few times, trying to decipher the meaning. Had something happened? Surely it couldn't be something bad. He would have mentioned in the message if it were, as he is generally open with Ignis when he's having problems of any sort. 

Ignis looses a slow sigh. Once more, worrying won't help.

 

_ Ignis _

_ I'm on my way. See you soon. _

 

Pocketing his phone, he bids Noct a brief goodnight, ignoring the way the Prince waggles his eyebrows at him. 

As he makes his way down to the parking garage, he entertains the idea of going home to change first before heading to the bar. He feels a little too formally dressed; he doesn't want to keep Gladio waiting, though, so he opts instead for shedding his vest and rolling the sleeves of his dress shirt up, hoping for a business-casual look. 

It will suffice, he supposes.

The drive to the bar is remarkably smooth considering it's a Friday evening. He arrives within twenty minutes and heads inside, eager to find his friend. 

A sweep of the room has him locating Gladio at the bar at the back. He approaches and opens his mouth to greet Gladio, but stops short. What alarms him is the sheer number of glasses on the counter in front of him. 

He'd already been drinking? How long had he been here before he'd invited Ignis to join him? Something definitely feels wrong.

"Gladio," he murmurs, gingerly placing a hand on Gladio's shoulder as he moves to sit beside his friend, "are you well?"

Gladio's head turns toward him, and for a prolonged moment, he just stares, as if trying to figure out if Ignis is really there. Then a grin erupts across his face, and he jumps to his feet and crushes Ignis in a bear hug. Ignis barely has time to gasp. "Iggy!" Gladio says, evidently delighted. "You're here!"

"I- wh- yes!" Ignis splutters, completely caught off guard. Gladio is incredibly warm, his muscular torso easily tangible through his strong grip, so Ignis' brain short circuits for a few seconds before he can compose himself. "Is everything quite alright, Gladio?"

"Yeah, now that you're here!" Gladio doesn't pull back immediately, but when he does, he's beaming. Ignis notes how flushed his face is, and he smells strongly of the beverage he'd been drinking. "I was so lonely without you, Iggy!" He tries to sit back down but misses his stool entirely and nearly topples over.

Ignis chooses to ignore the statement because of the way it makes his stomach flip, preferring to help Gladio back up. "You are... quite inebriated. How many drinks did you have?"

"Not enough," Gladio assures him, gesturing for the bartender. "Hey, can I get another beer and-"

"Oh no you don't," Ignis cuts in and shakes his head, stopping the bartender with a raise of his hand. "I'm fairly certain you've had enough. I'm paying your tab and then we are leaving."

"What? No, we can't leave, you only just got here!" Gladio whines, grabbing Ignis' sleeve and clinging. "C'mon, Iggy, just one more drink!" 

Usually Ignis gives in to whatever Gladio wants, but this time he decides to be firm. "Absolutely not. I will not have you drinking yourself senseless on my watch." 

Gladio sulks a bit while Ignis hands the bartender his card. Making sure to tip generously (something tells him that bartender had to put up with a lot, if the amount of empty glasses in front of Gladio was something to go by), he tows Gladio outside. 

"Iggy, don't be like that," the larger man grumbles. He's clearly reluctant, all but digging his heels into the ground to stop their progress to Ignis' car. "Don't you wanna spend time with me?"

Ignis blushes faintly. "Of course I do," he counters. "But I'd like to think we can agree that getting shitfaced is reason enough to cut it short."

An uncharacteristic giggle escapes Gladio. "You said shitfaced. I like hearin' you swear." 

"Of course you do," Ignis sighs, shaking his head. "Pay attention please, Gladio. I'm not saying we shouldn't spend time together, I simply believe it would be in our best interest to relocate. And perhaps help you sober up."

Gladio stares at Ignis, jaw open slightly. But then his brows knit and he frowns and folds his arms across his chest like a petulant child. "Nuh-uh. I can't sober up, I haven't even asked you out yet!" 

Despite his best efforts to remain calm and collected, it's those words that destroy any remainder of composure he'd hoped to keep. His voice comes out strangled when he tries to ask for clarification. "I- You- What??" 

"Ah," Gladio's shoulders sag, "Oops. I didn't mean ta bring it up like that." He suddenly gets quiet, face reddening. Ignis can't help gaping at him. 

When Gladio doesn't go on, Ignis tries desperately to pull himself together. "Elaborate, Gladio. Please?" He cringes at the frantic edge in his tone. "I don't want to get the wrong idea." 

"I, uh..." Gladio awkwardly rubs the back of his neck. "Shit. Why'd I think this would be easier if I got drunk? Now I'm just gonna get distracted by how damn good you look in that shirt with the sleeves rolled up-" He stops and slaps a hand over his mouth, mortified. 

Ignis' mind is trying to keep up, but it feels quite difficult to wrap his head around... whatever it is that's happening. Clearly, drunk Gladio is lacking a filter, but he can't be blunt enough to say things in a way that Ignis can actually work with. 

"Dammit," Gladio groans after a long pause. He buries his face in his hands. "I wanted this to go smoothly but I went an' fucked it up. You deserve better, Iggy, I'm sorry."

"Gladio, I don't..." Ignis lets out a harried exhale. "I truly don't understand what you're talking about. Please, for the Astrals' sake, explain it to me."

That seems to bring Gladio back, and, hesitantly, he moves his hands to meet Ignis' gaze. Ignis is caught off guard by the sudden seriousness of his expression, something flashing in his eyes that makes Ignis' heart stutter. Gladio takes a deep breath, then reaches out and gently places his hand on Ignis' shoulder. The touch sends a prickle of excitement through him.

"Alright, lemme just be honest. I really like you, Iggy. Like,  _ a lot _ . I think you're incredible." Ignis uses Gladio's hand as an anchor, does his best to keep steady while his heart races and his knees start to feel weak. "I've been wantin' to ask you on a date for a while now but I kept chickening out 'cause I thought it might freak you out or something. Don't get me wrong, hangin' out with you in general is a lot of fun. I just..." Gladio sighs, seems to consider dropping his hand, then squeezes Ignis' shoulder. "I really wanna kiss you."

Ignis feels like his face is on fire. This is too good to be true, isn't it? It's completely unrealistic that Gladio would like him, and yet here is, declaring it in the bar parking lot with a look of genuine want in his eyes that makes Ignis' chest feel like it might explode. He's not dreaming, is he? Gods, this is like some cliché movie.

The longer it takes for Ignis to collect himself, the more nervous Gladio starts to appear. Oh, Ignis realizes, this looks bad, doesn't it. He needs to respond. This is something he also wants, after all. 

Gladio retracts his hand, which is all it takes for Ignis to finally react. "Look, Iggy, you don't have to-"

"Then kiss me," Ignis blurts, finding a surge of confidence. He nearly falters when Gladio's eyes go round with surprise, his mouth still open from having been interrupted. "Kiss me," he repeats resolutely, reaching up and grabbing the front of Gladio's shirt. 

Presently, a dazed, eager grin lights up Gladio's face. Ignis vaguely registers that grin coming closer, and then warmth touches his lips, and he can't stop the soft gasp that escapes him. 

Gladio kisses him tenderly, chaste yet full of affection. Ignis feels lightheaded, but his desire to match Gladio keeps him on his feet, kissing back in what he hopes is a satisfying manner. He has no experience to go on, which he briefly worries will affect Gladio's perception of him, but when Gladio pulls back and beams at him, he banishes the thought from his mind. 

Ignis returns the smile. After a few seconds, though, the taste of alcohol catches up with him and he makes a face. Gladio laughs loudly.

"Sorry," Gladio cups his cheek and rubs a thumb along his bottom lip, "Didn't mean to pass that flavor to ya." 

"It's... fine," Ignis murmurs, letting out a sigh. "It's a small price to pay for something I've also desired for a long while." 

"Really? You...?" Gladio's brows lift in surprise. "Damn. I'm oblivious as fuck, ain't I."

"Well," Ignis laughs lightly, "not really. It's not as though I'm the most obvious when it comes to expressing myself." Hesitating and biting his lip, he adds, "Though, I... must admit that I had grown curious of how you actually felt about me. You are much more expressive than I am, but my anxiety wouldn't let me consider that you might actually be interested in me. Romantically, I mean." 

"Why wouldn't I be?" Gladio asks, a bit dumbfounded. "You're amazing, Iggy! You're such a hard worker, you're easy to talk to, you're the most loyal person I know, not to mention you're fuckin' beautiful-" He cuts himself off, squeezing his eyes shut, his cheeks vividly red. " _ Shiva's tits _ , it's still hard to talk about this."

Ignis wonders who between them is blushing harder. He can't say he doesn't like it, though. 

"You're doing fine," he assures his friend. Lifting his arms to hook his hands around Gladio's neck, he tugs the unsuspecting man into another kiss. Gladio smiles against his mouth, and wraps his arms around Ignis' waist, pulling him as close as possible. 

Ignis would have been quite content to continue like this, but they break apart very quickly when they hear a wolf whistle and a low ripple of applause from a small group of people who'd just left the bar. Face burning, Ignis supposes the look he gives Gladio is akin to cartoonish mortification because Gladio stifles a laugh and leans in to plant a comforting kiss on top of his head. 

"Let's go somewhere else, yeah?" the taller man suggests, grinning. "Somewhere we won't garner an audience."

Ignis clears his throat and nods, reluctantly detaching himself from Gladio to resume leading the way to his car. "I believe my apartment will work nicely."

 


	3. "Does anyone have any curatives?"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> day 3:  
> of mysterious "status ailments" and makeshift "cures"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (this is about as spicey as i'm gonna get with my writing lol)

In retrospect, it probably wasn't an excellent idea to leave his front exposed and throw his daggers toward the sabertusk currently pinning Noct to the ground. Sure, it does the trick in sending the beast sprawling off the prince, giving him the chance to recover like Ignis had intended. But really, had Ignis waited a few more seconds, Prompto had been making a beeline to Noct and would have done just as well to help the prince. Which probably would have been better, all things considered. 

But no, Ignis' protective instincts had overpowered his strategizing, and now he only has himself to blame as he narrowly avoids being mauled by the sabertusk he'd initially been fighting. His shirt suffers the brunt of the attack, torn down the front by the beast's jagged tusk. He's just lucky it hadn't grazed the skin.

"Iggy!" Gladio's concern is evident as he shouts across the field, quickly knocking two other sabertusks to the ground in order to rush to Ignis' side.

"I'm fine," Ignis assures him, looking down ruefully at the tatters of his shirt. Well, this will certainly be a hassle to mend. "Save your worries, Gladio, we still have work to do." 

Despite his statement, Ignis notes that Gladio hasn't moved, and is currently staring at him with wide eyes. He doesn't have time to linger on it, though, because Prompto is yelping for them to watch out, and he has little choice but to dodge out of the way when the sabertusk lunges at him once more. 

To his alarm, Gladio still seems frozen. Instincts kicking in again, he's quick to hurl his dagger into the creature's neck before it can reach the larger man. "Gladio, pull yourself together!" he scolds and sends the other dagger straight into the sabertusk's head. It lets out a pitiful whimper before crumbling to the ground. Finally, Gladio reacts, snapping out of what seems to have been a stupor to summon his sword and busy himself with the remainder of their foes.

"Hey, Gladio, you alright?" Noct asks, warp-striking to the sabertusk next to Gladio and knocking it to the ground. "Your face is bright red." 

That catches Ignis' attention. "Is it? Could it be some sort of ailment?" He recalls his daggers and aims for the beast Noct had toppled, dealing a few blows before switching to his lance. He vaults over the sabertusk, then slams the weapon down into the creature's gut. Upon looking up, he's across from Gladio, and has a crystal clear view of the color brightening Gladio's face. The Shield stiffens visibly. 

"You good, big guy?" Now it's Prompto's turn to check in on him, timing some well-aimed shots that knock the last beast into the dirt.

"Y-yeah," Gladio mumbles unconvincingly.

"Do we have any curatives left? What might help?" Ignis inquires. He steps over the sabertusk corpse to reach Gladio, who watches him with widening eyes. "What exactly is the ailment we're dealing with?"

"I- Uh-" Gladio blinks a few times and swallows hard. His gaze lowers to Ignis' shirt. "Isn't. I mean. Shouldn't you. Uh. Change?" 

Ignis gives him a strange look. "At the moment that is the least of my worries. What is the matter, Gladio? Tell me what's wrong, or else we won't be able to help you."

"I think I get it," Prompto says from somewhere behind Gladio. Ignis peers over to see that he and Noct had made easy work of the last sabertusk and are both crouching beside each other, resting. Prompto is smirking, which causes a crease to form in Ignis' brow.

"Get what?" he asks, narrowing his eyes. Gladio shoots a slightly frantic look toward the blond. 

" _ Ooh _ . Oh, y'know what, I think I've got it, too!" Noct smacks his fist on his hand as if he's just had an epiphany, and shares a somewhat conspiratorial glance with Prompto. "Right. We  _ tootally _ don't have the right curative for that, do we, Prom?"

"No, I'm afraid not!" Prompto is practically humming as he stands and brushes himself off before helping Noct back to his feet. "Let's go get it, shall we?"

Now Ignis is starting to get frustrated, though his concern for Gladio is still stronger. "Get what, exactly? Why don't we all just go-"

"No, no, it'd be best if he stays put," Noct jumps in, holding his hands up to stop Ignis. 

"And he'll need someone to look after him, right? So we'll just be right back!" Prompto chimes in with a suspicious grin. 

Despite not fully understanding what the pair is going on about (or planning), Ignis will admit they have a point, that it would likely benefit Gladio's condition - whatever it is - if he rests, and Ignis is probably the best option when it comes to keeping an eye on him. He doesn't like the idea of sending Noct and Prompto alone, but it's a simple enough trip that he figures they should be fine. 

"Alright then," he concedes, folding his arms across his chest (the sensation of his gloves brushing the bare skin surprises him, as he had momentarily forgotten the shirt predicament). "Chop chop, you two."

"On it!" Prompto shoots finger guns first at him, then at Gladio, who is still conspicuously very red in the face. "Go get 'im big guy," the blond adds, clearly addressing Gladio this time. Ignis' brow furrows further at that comment, but before he has a chance to ask of its meaning, Prompto has already linked arms with Noct and the both of them speed away. 

Silence falls over Ignis and Gladio now that the noisier half of the group has left. Ignis uncrosses his arms and gazes thoughtfully toward Gladio, who pointedly averts his gaze. "Gladio, what is the matter?" he asks again, to no avail. It's strange to see Gladio in such a state. He's not used to having Gladio avoid him like this. 

Well, if he won't talk, Ignis will simply have to deduce the status effect they're dealing with. There are some he can rule out straight away, like poison, toad, and petrification. Could it be confusion? It doesn't seem likely, as Gladio is still coherent and hadn't mistaken any of them as the enemy. It's clearly not anything elemental, either. Is it something new, then? Perhaps something they've never encountered before? But that wouldn't make sense, since Prompto and Noct had claimed to know what ailed him. 

Maybe he needs to look at it from a different angle. What had happened leading up to Gladio's odd behavior? Ignis had lent Noct his aid, and subsequently had his shirt torn open by a sabertusk. After that, Gladio had rushed to his side to ensure he'd escaped unscathed. And that was when he'd reacted. The red face,  the freezing up, the preoccupation which lead to distracted fighting, the avoidance of meeting Ignis' gaze... 

Given the circumstances, Ignis has to conclude that he is somehow to blame. But how, exactly? It's not as though Gladio is still worried for him. He'd seen with his own eyes that Ignis is fine, and his concern had never before affected his abilities during a battle. That being the case, he still must not be looking at this the right way. 

Reframe it. If the situation involved Noct and Prompto, for example, and Prompto was the one who'd had his shirt ripped open while Noct was the one behaving strangely...

Ah. It's much simpler than he'd been anticipating. So that's why Noct and Prompto had left them alone. 

With new resolve, Ignis is quick to clear the distance between himself and Gladio, who starts at the sudden movement. "Apologies, Gladio, I'm afraid I was a bit slow on the uptake," he says casually. "I believe I now have a grasp on what will help you." 

Exhaling slowly, Gladio finally makes eye contact, gnawing his bottom lip. "... An' what's that?"

"Not a curative, that's for sure," Ignis chuckles. He reaches out and takes Gladio's hand in his, pauses and feels the warmth before bringing the hand to his chest, splaying Gladio's fingers across the exposed skin. Gladio's eyes widen significantly. "You needn't hold back. You have my permission to touch where you please."

Like before, Gladio is stock still, cheeks glowing a charming shade of red. Ignis is patient, though, waiting until he feels the hesitant press of Gladio's palm brushing his skin in a slight shift. He keeps his own hand on Gladio's, as assurance that he'd meant what he'd said. 

After a long moment, Gladio gives in. "... If you're sure," he murmurs, voice low and rough. It sends a prickle through Ignis' body, which is only amplified as Gladio's other hand raises to graze his chest. 

He drops his own hand and allows Gladio to push his shirt open further, calloused fingers exploring the skin in tantalizing touches. He quivers, inhaling sharply as thumbs brush his nipples. Each touch is experimental, tender, soft but eager. Heart racing, he can't help but lean in closer, enticed by the lavish warmth of Gladio's hands and their ministrations. 

Without thinking, he wraps his arms around Gladio's waist, hooking his fingers in the belt loops of his pants. Gladio's eyes have darkened with desire, which sends Ignis' heart into overdrive. He shudders as the touches become a little rougher, focusing on his pectorals. 

Taking Ignis' nipples between two fingers with both hands, he squeezes, eliciting an improper noise from Ignis' mouth. Ignis claps a hand over his mouth to stifle the sound, having surprised himself with it, but Gladio gently pries the hand away. 

"Lemme hear ya," he whispers, husky tone making Ignis feel lightheaded. Ignis blushes fiercely, another low moan escaping him as Gladio squeezes again, this time with a slight twist. 

"Gladio..." Breathily, Ignis attempts to reign himself in. "We're... we're still out in the open..."

"In the middle of nowhere," Gladio responds. He's still very red-faced, as well, but his lust seems to have gotten the better of him, overtaking the embarrassment from earlier. "Nobody's out here but us, Iggy."

"Y-yes," Ignis concedes, biting down a groan when another shudder wracks him as Gladio twists further. "But... still..."

A few seconds pass, and then Gladio comes forward to kiss him, needy and enthusiastic. Ignis whimpers as Gladio's tongue slips into his mouth. He doesn't protest when Gladio retracts his hands to gently guide the two of them to the ground, planting Ignis on his lap. Ignis wraps his arms around Gladio's neck and leans into Gladio's touch as fingers roam his chest once more. 

This time, Gladio kisses him languidly, drinking in each sound that Ignis makes. He's quite good with his hands, Ignis thinks briefly. Then, before the thought even leaves his mind, Gladio has moved down his neck, trailing hot kisses and nips at the skin, and his lips find Ignis' nipple, following by his tongue and then his teeth. 

Good with his mouth, too, it would seem.

Until now, Ignis had had no idea he could make such obscene noises.

He decides, when Gladio finds his lips again, that the pros of the torn shirt definitely outweigh the cons. Enough even to forgive the smug smirks the younger two are wearing by the time they return, expectedly empty-handed.


	4. Fake Dating

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> day 4:  
> of spring fever and grand misunderstandings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> my take on fake dating(/wedding)...lol... the fake dating is that everybody thought they were dating before they had even confessed lol  
> this takes place in an au where there's no prophecy and the peace treaty goes through and everybody lives and there's no drama? bc that felt like a good setting to work with. also i have no idea what wedding planning looks like (and frankly i dont suuper care? lol) so sorry if it seems weird or awkward, i just made it up as i went along  
> anyway, i totally didn't mean for this one to get so long, but oh well, it is what it is lol  
> (oh, one last side note, this was loosely inspired by some tweets from @faewrites i saw on twitter a while back, which i have since lost the link to... sorry about that;;)

There's always something in the air in spring. Something besides pollen. Which Gladio is quite aware of, and would very much like to disappear, thanks a lot. No, it's something else, something harder to pinpoint. A feeling, whimsical and enchanting, that makes people let their guards down. Leads them to believe things that aren't true, for example. 

Either way, it's an early morning, and Gladio is  chock full of allergy medications, on his way to the Citadel for a meeting. It's nothing too important, really; ever since the peace treaty a few years ago, things between Lucis and Niflheim had calmed considerably with only minor conflicts occurring every so often, usually perpetuated by vigilante groups or those who remained starkly opposed to cooperation between the nations. Of course nothing is perfect, and there are still many places where work must be done to create the peace Eos deserves, but that's why the Citadel continues efforts to oversee each issue and resolve them in a way that will promote positive growth. 

Truthfully, Gladio couldn't be happier about the current state of affairs. Before the treaty was signed, he fully believed they would face another war. He'd feared for the fate of the king, the prince, his father, and the rest of the Crown City. There is a certain Crown citizen he had particularly kept an eye on, but he wouldn't admit to it if asked. But thankfully, things had never taken that turn for the worst.

As he enters the Citadel and heads for the elevator, he spots a familiar bespectacled face.  _Speak of the devil._  He grins as he picks up the pace to catch up. 

"Mornin'," he greets, patting Ignis' shoulder. Ignis opens his mouth to respond, but no words come out and he yawns instead. Gladio chuckles. "Looks like somebody's tired."

"Apologies," Ignis blinks tears from his eyes, clearly fighting another yawn. "Noct missed the political meeting at the beginning of the week because he had class, so I was up late last night transcribing it for him."

"You're way too good to him," Gladio chuckles again, sympathetic. "It's good that he's taking college seriously, though. Honestly, he probably likes it loads more than his princely duties."

"You're not wrong," Ignis says wryly. "Although, I worry about Prompto distracting him. Did you know they signed up for all of the same classes? It's hardly surprising, but something tells me they're liable to slack off if they spend the entire day together, day in and day out."

Gladio snorts. "Isn't that what they do anyway?" Ignis quirks a brow at him. "Blondie practically lives at Noct's place at this point. They've been inseparable since they started high school."

"Point taken," Ignis sighs, a mixture of amusement and exhasperation.

The elevator dings to signal its arrival and Gladio follows Ignis inside. Before the doors close, quite a large group joins them, forcing the pair of them to the back. Ignis makes a noise of surprise as he and Gladio are pressed up against one another to make room for the group, who seem unaware of how much space they take up. 

Gladio looks down at Ignis and swallows. They're close, way too close for comfort. Ignis is warm against him, and the expression he wears makes Gladio's heart skip a beat. "Sorry," he mutters, shifting to try to make room for Ignis. With his large build, he's at least able to make sure Ignis has a little space, even if he has to, in essence, pin the smaller man against the back of the elevator. 

"Don't worry," Ignis shakes his head, giving Gladio a soft smile.

Yeah, there's definitely something in the spring air. This situation is making Gladio feel lightheaded with the urge to kiss Ignis, despite the sizeable audience surrounding them. 

He focuses on his breathing until the elevator stops to let off half the group, freeing up enough space for Gladio to move to stand next to Ignis in a more natural position. Crisis averted.

Once they reach their destination floor, they slip passed the remainder of the elevator's occupants and step out. The meeting room is just down the hall.

Upon entering, they find a few figures already in their seats. One in particular stands out, and Gladio lets out an amused whistle as he and Ignis approach. "You're up early, princess," Gladio comments, grinning when Noct sends him a look. 

"Don't wanna be," the prince mumbles. To his credit, he still looks half asleep, nursing a cup of coffee in both hands as he slouches in his seat.

"I'm proud of you, regardless," Ignis smiles affectionately and pats the top of Noct's head. "It's good you're here before the meeting started, actually. I've got the transcription of the last meeting in my briefcase for you." Dutifully, Ignis seats himself beside Noct and plants the case on the table in front of him, opening it to retrieve a folder which he hands to the prince.

"Thanks," Noct tells him. He sounds genuinely grateful. "Sorry to burden you like that, Specs. Really appreciate it, though."

"Oh, it's no trouble," Ignis assures him, "I'm glad to be of help. These meetings are important, but your education is equally so. I prefer this to the alternative of sullying your attendance record."

Sliding into the chair next to Ignis, Gladio addresses Noct. "Speakin' of, how's your classes? Heard from Iggy here that you and Prompto are taking the same ones."

"Things are fine so far," Noct says through a yawn. "Honestly, the biggest reason we matched our schedules is because Prom's the only one who can make me wake up at these ungodly hours."

"And because the two of you can't bear being apart for more than an hour," Ignis chuckles, ignoring the way Noct's face scrunches up in protest. "By the way, where is Prompto, Noct? I thought he had permission to sit in on our meetings, considering his future betrothal to you."

Noct blushes at that, turning his eyes toward the folder Ignis had given him as if it had suddenly caught his attention. "He, uh, does. He dropped me off here, but he's got a part time job on the weekend, so he's working right now."

"Gotcha," Gladio nods. He grins as Noct's face reddens a bit more. "Bet you miss him already, huh?"

Ignis interjects with a good-humored laugh. "No need to tease him Gladio."

"Yeah, and you're one to talk, anyway," Noct grumbles and folds his arms on the table surface to lay his head on them. "You turn into a huge baby when you don't get to see Ignis every day." 

Now it's Gladio's turn to blush. "Wh- No I don't!" he huffs, deflating when Ignis devolves into laughter again, the sound bubbly and charming. Gods, Gladio adores that laugh. "'Sides, this is Iggy we're talking about. He's a goddamn blessing. An everyday necessity! Don't try to tell me there's even one person in this Citadel who doesn't look forward to seeing Ignis fuckin' Scientia."

"It's true, you know," comes a new voice from behind them. Gladio stiffens involuntarily, caught off guard as he rounds in his seat to see the King, acompanied by Gladio's own father, who seems to be suppressing a smirk. "Ignis is truly a delight to have around," Regis goes on with a gentle smile.

"You all flatter me," Ignis murmurs, using his index finger to push his glasses further up the bridge of his nose. Gladio recognizes that habit; he does it when he's flustered or overwhelmed. It's actually pretty cute, if he's being honest.

"Glad you agree with me, Your Majesty," Gladio says, grinning at Regis. 

"Please Gladiolus, how many times must I insist that you call me Regis?" the King sighs and shakes his head. 

"Dad," Noct cuts in, giving his father a deadpan look, "You know you're the king, right? And people can't just... call you by your first name? That's like... major disrespect."

Regis frowns. "But we're like family." He looks to Clarus for validation, but Clarus just shrugs noncommittally. "What about Prompto? He calls me by name."

"Yeah," Noct snorts. "With a million  _sir_ 's before and after." 

With a sigh, Regis concedes defeat. "Well, one day we'll get there I'm sure. It is rather tiring to be referred to as Your Majesty all the time. Maybe I'll propose a new clause that could get rid of the formality-"

"Save it, Regis," Clarus interrupts, quirking a brow at him. "We've got other matters to discuss."

"Quite right, quite right," the King nods. He pats Noct's shoulder with one hand, says, "Good to see you, my son," then follows Clarus to the other side of the room where they take their seats.

Ignis, who seems to have recovered now from the praise that had been suddenly hurled at him, comments in a hushed, fond tone. "It's good to see His Majesty so energetic. The removal of the Wall seems to have helped his health tremendously, wouldn't you say, Noct?"

Emotion flickers across Noct's face, a small smile tugging at his lips. "Yeah," he says quietly. 

That's something the three of them can definitely agree on.

 

\--

 

The garden in the Citadel is in full bloom when Ignis leads the way outside, colorful flowers and vivid greenery greeting them as Gladio follows him to one of the benches in the area. Somehow, Gladio had let Ignis convince him the garden would be a good place to eat lunch once the meeting had let out. Well, more precisely, Gladio can never say no to Ignis, even if it threatens his allergies.

"Are you certain you'll be alright?" Ignis asks, suppressing a vaguely amused smile. 

"'Course I am!" Gladio starts to reply, only to abruptly duck for cover into his elbow when a sneezing fit hits him. Ignis laughs heartily. "That was a fluke," Gladio sniffles and frowns. "I'm on allergy meds, I'll be fine."

"If you say so," his friend murmurs, still smiling. 

Ignis begins unpacking the food he'd brought, handing Gladio's portions to him as he goes. Gladio's stomach growls eagerly while he watches with rapt attention. "Damn, Iggy, you really spoil me with your lunches. Seriously, thanks for always sharin'."

"I'm simply glad we have the time for meals together now," Ignis responds with a soft expression. "Besides, I enjoy cooking for others, and you clearly enjoy what I make, so it's a mutually beneficial exercise. Wouldn't you agree?"

Gladio manages a nod and a brief, "Definitely," becore digging in. He groans happily at just the first bite. "Fuck, this is so good! No joke, Iggy, you're way too good to me." 

"Perhaps because you deserve it?" Ignis offers, eyes twinkling. "In exchange, I request that you tell me about the rest of the book you were reading last week. I believe you said you finished it, and I must admit I was rather curious about the ending." Gladio finishes a mouthful of food before voicing his agreement. 

Through the meal, Gladio recalls the details of the novel he'd been reading. It had been along the lines of a period drama, a forbidden romance between a feudal lord and his retainer. There had been some interesting plot twists, a noteworthy antagonist who got a decent redemption arc, and, despite the main character and his lover being executed for their relationship, the story ended with a time skip where the two of them were reunited in the present where they could be together with no obstacles. 

"It was a pretty decent book," Gladio shrugs. He cleans a few remaining crumbs from the container his food had been in before setting it aside to get more comfortable on the bench. "At least until I got to the last... I dunno, thirty pages."

"What changed?" Ignis asks, raising one eyebrow.

Gladio chuckles and rolls his eyes. "The author decided to go into excruciating detail about the main couple's wedding. Like, she went all out. I guess the guys must be rich when it cuts to present day 'cause they had it at a really fancy venue, and catered expensive food, too. Brand name suits... I was gonna list more things, but actually, everything was brand name so I won't go on. Oh, and flowers. Flowers everywhere. Rose bouquets linin' the walkway and a machine on the second floor that created a shower of petals that lasted the whole ceremony."

"I can't imagine that would be good for dining," Ignis comments, brows furrowed. "Really? A perpetual shower of flower petals? Is that supposed to be romantic?"

Gladio laughs. "Beats me. In theory it sounds like a nice idea, but... you'd definitely end up with a mouthful of petals at some point."

"That's for certain," Ignis nods, laughing as well. "I'd ask if all weddings are like that, but honestly it's such a special occasion that I can almost understand the grandeur."

"Almost," Gladio emphasizes, smirking. Ignis smirks back and shrugs. 

Ignis takes back the container from Gladio to stash it in his case, then checks his phone for the time. "Well, this was fun, but I suppose we'd best finish up soon if you're to make it to training on time, correct? You've been helping Cor deal with new trainees, if memory serves."

Gladio also checks the time and swears under his breath. "Yeah, you're right. And I definitely don't want Cor on my ass for bein' late. Thanks for reminding me, Iggy."

"Of course," Ignis smiles. "Shall we rendezvous later this afternoon, then?" Gladio nods (maybe a little too enthusiastically).

The pair make their way out of the garden before parting ways, and Gladio grins to himself as he thinks about seeing Ignis again in a few hours, and makes his way to the training hall.

 

\--

 

Overseeing the trainees passes by quickly. Cor is a good instructor, mostly, though he's never been very good at the talking part. Gladio thinks it's because he intimidates the newbies too much, but who knows, maybe they just like Gladio more. Nyx Ulric, who'd also been helping with training, is definitely their favorite. Either way, after they let the trainees go, Cor thanks Gladio for his assistance, and Gladio heads for the locker room to clean up. 

Finishing washing, he's toweling his face dry when he checks his phone for the first time since he arrived for the training session. To his surprise, he has a missed text from his dad. An odd occurrence, since his dad is one to prefer face to face conversation over messaging.

 

Clarus Amicitia 

_Congrats :)_

 

Gladio stares at the message. He blinks a few times as if doing so will somehow clarify the single word.  _What kind of weird, ambiguous..._

He's just sent a "For what?" in response when Nyx saunters up from behind him and slings an arm over his shoulder, the sudden weight catching him by surprise. "Amicitia, you sly dog! Getting hitched before the prince! You shoulda said something before!"

Gladio gives him a baffled look.  _Him_? Hitched? Where had he heard something like that? 

"What're you talkin' about?" he asks cautiously.

"You don't have to play dumb," Nyx laughs, releasing him with a playful shove. "We all saw it coming. Sounds like the King wants to arrange the whole thing, too. Ain't that an honor!" With a pat on Gladio's back, he makes to leave. "Congrats, man!"

Nyx is gone before Gladio can process anything. Still staring in the direction he'd left, Gladio wracks his mind to try to understand what just happened. The exchange had been so quick, he barely knows what to think. Is this another product of the spring's mysterious effect? 

Nyx had been joking... hadn't he? There's no way that could have been a serious conversation. Who would Gladio even be marrying? Had his dad said something, and did this have something to do with the bizarre text he received? He can't imagine his dad would go and set anything up without discussing with Gladio first, so that doesn't seem very likely. But Nyx had said that the King was involved...

Something about this situation makes him uneasy. 

Confirmation comes when his phone buzzes with a new message.

 

Clarus Amicitia

_I'm happy to see one of my children married, and I couldn't have asked for a better son-in-law. I'd say Ignis is lucky to have you, but... honestly you're just lucky to have him ;)_

 

Gladio has to read the message at least four times before the meaning sinks in, hitting him like an expertly timed strike from the Marshall's katana. His eyes widen, his heart skips a beat, and heat floods his face.

"Wait, what??" he blurts aloud, frantically reading the message a fifth time like it'll somehow change the contents.

Ignis?? He's marrying  _Ignis_???

What the hell is going on...?

This makes no sense. No sense at all. Why would he be marrying Ignis? How could they possibly think so? Gladio still hasn't even mustered up the courage to confess! 

Marriage? 

With Ignis??

_Gods_. 

He has to stop and steady himself against the wall, suddenly lightheaded. This is way too much. He needs to talk to Ignis, as soon as possible.

Mind made up, he hurries from the locker room. Thankfully, he doesn't have to go far. He only makes it to the elevator, frantically typing up a message for Ignis to meet him, before the elevator door opens and he and Ignis bump into each other, looking equally frazzled.

"Gladio!" Ignis gasps. His relief is palpable. Gladio helps him stay on his feet, large hands on his shoulders until he seems like he isn't going to immediately tumble over. "Thank the Astrals I found you. This... It's..." He trails off, sighing. "... I fear I've created a mess."

Taking a deep breath, Gladio tries to stay calm. "Does it have somethin' to do with my dad telling me you and I are, uh, getting married?" Ignis blushes faintly.

"I..." He groans, taking his glasses off to pinch the bridge of his nose. "I offer my sincerest apologies Gladio, truly. I tried to stop His Majesty, but he wouldn't listen to a word I said! You know how he is when he makes up his mind about something, he's a force to be reckoned with. I didn't stand a chance-"

"Whoa, slow down, Iggy," Gladio cuts in, gently gripping his shoulder again. "What happened, exactly?"

With a long suffering sigh, Ignis replaces his glasses and meets Gladio's eyes. "Well... It would seem our conversation in the garden was... overheard."

"Conversation...? Wait, which part?" Gladio asks, brows furrowing in confusion.

Ignis squirms a bit, averting his gaze. "That would be your recounting of the wedding sequence from your book."

"The... wedding...?" As Gladio repeats it, realization washes over him. "Oh Gods. He didn't...?"

"I'm afraid he did," Ignis smiles wryly. "Apparently, our King has discovered a rather uncouth hobby. And to make matters worse, he didn't hear enough to discern that the subject of our musings was, in fact, fictitious."

"Oh no," Gladio whispers.

"He accosted me not long after we went our separate ways. He was so excited that he immediately offered to cover everything for the ceremony and preparations. Unfortunately, all of my objections fell on deaf ears."

This is a lot to process. Gladio almost wishes he was sitting down, rather than standing outside an elevator, still a bit sweaty from the training session earlier. "So... now the whole Citadel is..."

"Under the impression that you and I are engaged?" Ignis supplies. "Judging by how jubilantly the King went about announcing it... It would seem so, yes."

"Oh, sweet Shiva," Gladio mutters, hand dropping to his side.

"My thoughts exactly. Had I known he would go to such lengths, I would have tried much harder to stop him. I merely presumed I would have the chance to correct the mistake later. I'm really very sorry, Gladio."

Gladio shakes his head, trying to recover his composure. "Nah, don't blame yourself, Iggy. Like you said, the King is impossible to stop once he starts on something. We'll just... have to go clear things up right now, yeah?" 

"... Yes." After a pause, Ignis nods. His cheeks are still a shade of pink that makes Gladio's chest feel warm. "Indeed."

They board the elevator together, destination set. Gladio glances at Ignis out of the corner of his eye, and notes that the other man has schooled his expression into neutrality. What could Ignis be thinking about this whole thing? It's definitely farfetched. Gladio wants to get it sorted out quickly, if only to alleviate Ignis' stress. 

Seriously, though, him? Marry Ignis? Such a concept is... way too good to true. Just thinking about it makes his whole body tingle, his insides feel fuzzy, his throat tighten, and his face heat up. 

Marrying... Ignis? It's... a nice idea, at the very least.

"Are you quite alright, Gladio?" Ignis asks, startling him. "You're a bit red.

"F-fine!" Gladio replies tersely, focusing intently on the floor counter above the doors as they near their destination floor. He needs to not let this go to his head, or else he'll start imagining what it would actually be like. 

They hardly make it five feet off the elevator before they're pounced on by a group of people, who had apparently been waiting for them.

"There you are," says one woman, frowning at them. "His Majesty asked us to collect you. Are your schedules free at the moment?"

"Yeah?" Gladio blinks at her.

"I- Well, Yes, but-" Ignis begins, but she doesn't wait for him to finish.

"Splendid. I've been appointed as the head wedding planner. I heard a few of your thoughts from His Majesty. A bit unrealistic, but definitely creative. I think we can make it work."

Ignis' eyes bug out at that. "Unrealistic-! Bloody hell, that's because it's actually-"

"Now, I've got some designers here who happened to have empty slots today." Again, the woman interrupts. "Lucky for you, they have some samples for you boys to try on. Clearly the final results will be different, but we figured you'd like a taste for what's to come." She claps her hands, and the other people with her approach Ignis and Gladio. "Lead the way, ladies and gents. Once you're done, we'll meet back up to go over the planning."

"Wait! For the sake of the Six, listen to what I'm-!" Ignis' third attempt is also in vain, as the woman has already vanished down the hallway, heels clicking on the hard floor. Ignis exchanges an exasperated look with Gladio. "You've got to be joking," he mutters, voice trailing off into a groan.

"Come with us, please," their escorts address them. At this point, it only seems prudent to go along. Evidently none of the people involved are interested in Ignis' explanations. 

"What a disaster," Ignis says under his breath. 

"It's alright, Iggy," Gladio tries to give him a reassuring smile, "Once we're done here we'll head straight to the King." Ignis sighs before returning the smile and nodding, still vaguely flummoxed.

It feels supremely weird to have people fussing over the size and fit of a simple tuxedo on him. Gladio's gotten suits tailored before, always has to have them altered to fit his wide build, but never in this way. This is new and unnerving, especially accompanied by the sight of himself in the mirror, clothed in white. 

It's not a bad look, if he's being honest. Fancy. Regal, even.

Marrying Ignis. It almost feels real, if he lets himself forget the unfortunate circumstances that incited this whole ordeal. On the one hand, Gladio almost wants to let himself enjoy this, for the small amount of time it will last. But...

The other part of him is fretting Ignis' reaction. He definitely seems bothered by it. If anything, Gladio wants to resolve the misunderstanding as soon as he can, if only to put Ignis at ease. He doesn't like to see him so uncomfortably flustered. 

"We have a few supplies and a couple other suits to bring in," one of the designers tells hims, scribbling a few notes in a notebook before pocketing it. "Your partner is being brought here so that you may wait together until we get back."

Gladio would be lying if he said hearing Ignis referred to as his  _partner_  didn't make his heart race. "Yeah, uh, thanks," he mumbles lamely. "Is it alright if I change-"

"Not yet," the other designer interjects with a giggle. "Don't you want your partner to see how wonderful you look? Even in a sample tux, the aesthetic is quite stunning."

Gladio blushes, awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck. This is seriously too much.

Can he blame it all on spring fever? The whole day has felt too outlandish to be real. Maybe he never actually woke up this morning and he's just having an allergy medication-induced lucid dream. That would make more sense than-

Whatever else he'd started to think comes to a screeching halt when the door opens and Ignis steps in. He's pristine in white, elegant and angelic. Gladio can't help gaping, taking in the sight with eager eyes. 

Ignis fidgets, avoiding Gladio's gaze as he crosses to sit beside Gladio. "... It would appear we've been given a break," Ignis murmurs after a few seconds of silence.

Gladio tries to recover, but his face is on fire. How can Ignis make a simple white suit look so amazing? It's unfair, really. He tries to find a different train of thought that doesn't involve blurting out an obvious compliment, but his mouth moves faster than his brain. "You look  _incredible_."

Ignis starts and makes eye contact, caught by surprise. He gives Gladio a once over, and blushes as he quietly responds, "... As do you. White is a good color on you." 

"Thanks," Gladio can't help beaming. 

Is it bad that he kind of wishes they actually were getting married? That'd be bad, wouldn't it? He feels bad for even being conflicted on the matter. He needs to get his shit together, and fast.

The two of them sit quietly, waiting for the designers to return. Gladio has half a mind to suggest they could sneak out and go to the King now, but he doesn't like the idea of wandering the Citadel in this borrowed tux, not with Ignis stressed out as he is. It would just create more problems, and that's the last thing they need right now.

After a bit longer, Ignis lets out a small sigh and glances over at Gladio, pursing his lips. "Quite a predicament we've found ourselves in. Do you suppose we will have to wait for much longer?"

"Hope not," Gladio stifles a yawn and pretends he hadn't spent at least the last five minutes staring (hopefully inconspicuously) at Ignis. "Gettin' a li'l bored. It'd be nice if we could get this cleared up and then... Uh, go get some dinner, if you want?"

Ignis seems surprised by the suggestion, and Gladio worries he'd been too hasty in his offer, but then Ignis smiles, soft and affectionate. "Yes, that would be lovely." 

That's good. Gladio instinctively holds a hand over his heart in an attempt to calm its rapid beating. If Ignis can manage an expression like that, he must not be as upset as Gladio thought.

Finally, the door opens, and Gladio stands, nervous to welcome back the designers - but the faces that greet him are ones he recognizes.

"Noct," Ignis murmurs, clearly just as surprised. "And Prompto. You-"

"Hey," Noct cuts in. Uh oh. He does not sound happy. From behind him, Prompto grins sheepishly. "So I heard something interesting from my dad."

Yep, definitely not happy. Gladio steps in to try to mediate as best he can. "Look, Noct, it's not what you think-"

"Then what am I supposed to think?" Noct snaps. His stern expression gives way to a childish pout, his tone becoming whiny. "I can't believe you told my dad before me! C'mon, I know me and Prom weren't super open about our relationship at first, but this is like... next level petty, even for you guys." Folding his arms, he frowns exaggeratedly at Ignis, who stiffens. "What, did you think I'd be against it or something? We all know how good you guys are for each other-"

Ignis, it seems, has had enough. "We're not engaged, Noct!" His words come out harsh, flustered, and Noct stops mid-sentence with his mouth hanging open. 

The silence that follows is heavy. Prompto is the first to break it, quietly asking, ".... You're... not?"

Again, Gladio decides to try to help. "Yeah. It's a big misunderstanding. I mean..." He pauses, glances over toward Ignis, who is pointedly staring at his lap, then adds "We're... not even dating, y'know."

That gets Noct's attention. He snaps out of it and looks to Prompto, the pair of them exchanging a baffled look. "What the fuck," Noct says.

"Um..." Prompto looks between Ignis and Gladio, biting his bottom lip. He steps forward, takes Noct by the arm and leads him to the door. "I think... It sounds like you guys have some...  _stuff_  to talk about." Noct appears to want to protest, but he gives in quickly. He shoots an unreadable look toward Ignis before allowing Prompto to tow him from the room, the door closing with a loud click behind them.

Ignis remains silent, still avoiding Gladio's gaze like his life depends on it. Gladio watches him for a few seconds, trying to figure out what to say. Words evade him, and it takes longer than is probably necessary to find his voice.

"Iggy," he starts hesitantly, clears his throat as he goes on, "does it bother you that everyone thinks we're gettin' married?"

With a soft sigh, Ignis waits a bit before answering. "Truthfully... no. I apologize if I seemed... on edge. I had thought it would pose an inconvenience to you." He worries his bottom lip with his teeth.

"Why's that?" 

Ignis shrinks back a little, faint blush on his cheeks. The color is a welcome sight, but Gladio feels a little bad to think so. "I'm... not really sure. It's somewhat complicated."

"Can't be that bad," Gladio gives him an encouraging grin as he moves to sit back down next to Ignis. "We've got time Iggy. Go ahead."

It's a while before Ignis does go on, voice barely above a whisper. "I suppose I should be honest, shouldn't I." He sighs, then finally lifts his eye to meet Gladio's. The look he gives Gladio makes Gladio's heart stutter. "I have feeings for you."

For a second, it feels like time stops. There's a roaring in Gladio's ears, his throat feels tight, and his heart threatens to beat right out of his chest. 

_What_...?

"For a time, I believed them to be platonic, a show of our close bond," Ignis goes on, smiling bitterly. "I realized at some point, though, that what I feel is different from friendship. Much different."

Gladio gapes at him, having momentarily forgotten how to function properly. "You... What?" he utters ineloquently, face bright red.

"Must I repeat myself?" Ignis squirms in his seat. With another delicate sigh, he confirms, "I like you, Gladio. To put it as directly as possible, I am romantically interested in you."

_Shiva's sweet tits_ this can't be real. 

That's it, this is definitely some spring allergy-induced hallucination. 

Ignis seems to take his shocked silence as something of a rejection, expression faltering while he averts his gaze to his lap. "I understand if my feelings make you uncomfortable. I did my best to keep it under control, considering the nature of our relationship, and our duties to the Crown. Perhaps that is why this... whole misunderstanding is getting to me. We should clear things up as soon as possible so that-"

No, actually, fuck it. If the spring wants to work its weird magic, far be it from Gladio to stop it.

"Go out with me!" Gladio blurts. 

Ignis' voice dies off, his eyes going round with surprise. He's practically a deer in headlights.

Fuck, that wasn't romantic at all!

"I mean..." Gladio rakes a hand through his hair and gives Ignis a sheepish smile. Dammit, his face feels like it's on fire. "I like you, too, Iggy. A lot. Uh. Romantically." He closes his eyes to try to alleviate the embarrassment of his awkwardness, feeling at least a little better when Ignis suppresses a soft laugh. "Clearly starting with marriage is getting a li'l too far ahead, so... Let's start from the beginning, alright?" With a deep breath, he opens his eyes and tries again. "Ignis Scientia, will you go on a date with me?"

To his immense relief, Ignis is at least as red-faced as he feels. Ignis nods, a beautiful smile blooming across his face. "... Yes. I'd like that very much."

Thank whichever God is listening. Gladio exhales slowly, flashing a smile of his own as he reaches out and takes Ignis' hand. Finding his confidence, he asks, "Then... would it be alright if I kiss ya?"

Ignis nods fervently. "Absolutely. In fact, I'd be rather disappointed if you didn't," he chuckles. Blushing like that, clothed in white, smiling at Gladio the way he is, he just looks too stunning to handle. 

Gladio leans in and captures Ignis' lips before his brain can short circuit. The contact feels like electricity, sparking through his body as an intoxicating, prickling warmth. His eyes slip closed, and he lets himself focus on Ignis' mouth, the smoothness of his lips - is that vanilla chapstick he tastes? - the small noise of contentment Ignis makes as he kisses back. It feels amazing, more satisfying than Gladio could have ever imagined. 

When they pull apart, Ignis looks dazed, face still flushed as his eyes slowly open. Gladio smiles fondly at him. "Thank you," Ignis murmurs, watching Gladio's mouth. "Would it be... acceptable to do that again?"

Gladio laughs breathlessly and eagerly leans in once more.

 

\-- 

 

It turns out to be quite easy to inform the designers of the misunderstanding once they return. They're much more flustered than Ignis or Gladio at any rate, apologizing excessively as they accept the returned sample suits from the new couple. 

Now provided the chance, the two of them hurry to find the King to settle the matter for good. 

To their relief, they catch him as he's preparing to head for dinner. 

His face when Ignis informs him of his mistake is, quite frankly, priceless.

"You mean..." Regis glances between them, frowning, "... You're not engaged?"

"Correct," Ignis bows his head. "As I explained, the discussion you had the misfortune of overhearing was simply about the latest book Gladio finished reading. I tried to inform Your Majesty of this multiple time, but you wouldn't listen."

Regis frowns for a long time. Then he sighs, hanging his head. "I'm so sorry, Ignis, Gladiolus. It would seem I got far too carried away there." He lifts his head to give them an apologetic smile. "Ignis, next time I fly off the handle like that, you have full permission to... I don't know, hit me over the head until I listen." This suggestion earns a positively mortified look from Ignis. "Though, Clarus will be disappointed. He was quite excited, you know. Truly, this is a surprising development. Can you at least tell me you're dating?"

Gladio blushes fiercely. Since when was he so interested, anyway? Come to think of it, everybody they talked to said something along those lines... "We, uh, weren't before, but," glancing at Ignis, he grins and goes on, "we are now."

"That's good news!" Regis claps his hands together, evidently pleased. "Honestly, I'm shocked. We all thought you'd been dating this whole time." At that, red paints Ignis' cheek. "I suppose that's why the idea of you getting married seemed so believable." He offers a sheepish smile, seemingly oblivious to the vivid blush on the new couple's faces.

After that, they let the King leave, watching until he's out of sight before moving themselves. Gladio lets out a slow exhale, turning to Ignis. "That was... really something, huh," he mutters, grinning. "What a day."

"You can say that again," Ignis groans, removing his glasses to rub his a hand over his face. "I still can't believe half the Citadel truly thought we were getting married. Is this what they call spring fever?"

"Guess so," Gladio laughs, motioning for Ignis to follow as they head for the elevator. "Honestly, that's what I've been thinkin' this whole time." Hesitantly, he waits until Ignis has replaced his glasses before adding, "And uh... I dunno, I think it's kinda funny that we were both so obvious about our feelings that-"

"Everyone believed we were already an item?" Ignis fills in, suppressing a chuckle. "Yes, it certainly is rather ridiculous, isn't it. It would seem everyone knew except the two of us." 

Ridiculous? Definitely. But Gladio isn't complaining, not when Ignis is gazing at him so affectionately. 

"So," he murmurs, reaching out to take Ignis' hand and lace their fingers together, "I believe I made an offer earlier. Dinner, jus' the two of us."

"Ah," Ignis grins and squeezes Gladio's hand. "Are you proposing we make it-?"

"A date?" Gladio finishes for him. He leans in and kisses Ignis gently. "You bet."


	5. Slippery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> day 5:  
> of beach trips  
> or: three time Ignis slips on accident, and two times he does on purpose

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i based this beach on warren dunes state park. the dunes there are pretty tall (and, at least for me, exhausting to climb lmao)  
> this mostly was molded around the idea of ignis slipping while climbing the dunes and gladio catching him, which i thought would be cute (and also totally something i would do, although nobody would be there to help me lol)

Ignis is thankful for the chance to stretch his legs. The few hours-drive to the beach had made him quite stiff, and he's eager to stand and work the cramps out of his knees and neck. 

"Great weather," Gladio comments as he joins Ignis, plopping a sun hat on Ignis' head. Ignis chuckles and adjusts the hat to give his partner a look. 

"Told you the clouds would clear up by the time we got here!" Prompto exclaims, bouncing up and down as he looks up at the now cloudless sky. He elbows Noct for emphasis, who grunts and stifles a laugh.

"Never doubted you, anyway," the prince rolls his eyes, but affection is still evident on his face. "We just got lucky, that's all."

"Perhaps," Ignis muses. He exchanges a smile with Gladio before moving to the Regalia's trunk to retrieve their supplies. 

"Think our luck will last? It'd be pretty sweet if we got a good spot on the beach," Prompto says. He and Noct lead the way while Ignis and Gladio trail behind, carrying everything. 

"Don't say stuff like that, you'll jinx us!" Noct laughs, bumping Prompto's shoulder. "What's that superstition? Knock on wood?" 

"But we don't have any wood," Prompto pouts. Noct just laughs again and taps his knuckles against Prompto's forehead. "Hey! I'm not made of wood!" The two of them playfully roughhouse a bit, kicking up sand in their wake. 

"Careful, kiddos," Gladio chuckles. "Don't want anybody gettin' a face full of sand when we've only been here a couple minutes."

"Who's getting a face full of sand?" Prompto ducks out of Noct's grasp to take up the lead, blowing a raspberry as he walks backwards to watch the other three behind him. "I've got legs of steel! If anybody's gonna trip, it's Noct."

"Don't underestimate me, punk," Noct frowns exaggeratedly, though he's unable to hold the expression for very long. "Race you to the nearest clearing. Whoever wins has to buy the other ice cream."

"You're on!" Prompto beams.

Gladio snorts, glancing over his shoulder toward Ignis with obvious amusement. "Tempting fate much?"

Ignis rolls his eyes. "Come now, there's no need to get carried away-" His words morph into a noise of surprise when his sandal sticks in the sand and he goes tumbling forward, knocking straight into Gladio's back and narrowly avoiding dropping the stack of towels in his arms. 

"Iggy! You okay?" Gladio fumbles with the cooler he'd been carrying, hurriedly setting it down to face Ignis, who clutches his nose with his free hand. In front of them, Noct and Prompto have burst into laughter, leaning against each other for support.

"Apologies, I'm alright," Ignis mutters, flashing what he hopes is a reassuring smile. Gladio still insists on checking the damage, leaning close and gently touching Ignis' nose with his fingers. "Truly, Gladio, I'm fine. Lost my footing is all." He shifts to glare behind Gladio at the two still snickering boys. "Are you quite done yet?"

"Sorry, Iggy," Prompto reels it in and motions to wipe a nonexistent tear from his eye. "It's just too coincidental that we were talking about somebody falling and then you happened to-"

"And right into Gladio's back like that," Noct interrupts with a wheeze. "I wish I recorded that noise you made!" He stifles a laugh when Prompto mouths  _ priceless _ at him. 

"That's enough outta you two," Gladio steps in, giving the younger men a shove forward. Prompto stumbles, pulling Noct with him, who fights to keep his balance. "Let's focus on finding a decent spot to set up, alright?"

"On it!" Prompto salutes. Noct rolls his eyes, but lets the blond lead the way as they continue onward.

Ignis suppresses a sigh, adjusts his grip on the towels, and locates and replaces his sandal on his foot. Gladio waits patiently, only resuming walking once Ignis is beside him. "Good?"

"Peachy," Ignis mutters wryly. 

"You can use me for support if you think you're gonna trip again," the Shield offers, grinning when Ignis glances sidelong at him to gauge the seriousness of the remark. "C'mon, Iggy, I ain't teasing ya. I got plenty of arm right here. Just sayin' you can feel free to hold on." For emphasis, he flexes the bicep closer to Ignis. The advisor tries in vain to withhold a rather unbecoming snort of a laugh, which brings a wide, pleased grin to Gladio's face.

"I appreciate the offer," Ignis says once he's recovered, "and I believe I'll take you up on it." Shifting the towels to one arm, he lifts his now free arm to latch onto Gladio's arm, hand curling around hard muscle. He's reminded of just how much he loves Gladio's body.

"Works for me," Gladio nods, clearly satisfied. 

They continue this way until they catch up with Noct and Prompto where the younger men have picked out a relatively uncrowded spot on the beach to set up their stuff.

 

\--

 

Ignis considers himself to be very fit, maintaining a healthy diet and exercising every day through rigorous combat training. He's not out of shape by any means, and it's not like this is his first time at the beach, either. 

Maybe it's because he's not a fan of sports, and even less a fan of maneuvering atop sand. It's quite difficult to find decent footing, always shifting this way or that and making him slide when he's trying not to. 

Or maybe he's just making excuses for the fact that he just slipped again, and had fallen face first in the sand while trying to hit the volleyball back toward Noct and Prompto's side of the net. 

When he pulls himself up, he's aware that his companions are laughing, Gladio included this time. The larger man composes himself quicker than the other two, holding his hand out to Ignis to tug him to his feet. "Sorry, Iggy. Don't mean to laugh at ya," Gladio tells him with an apologetic grin. 

"It's quite alright," Ignis grumbles, using Gladio's large hand to steady himself before pushing his glasses back up the bridge of his nose and dusting sand from his face and shoulders. "I can understand how seeing my usual elegance replaced by ineptitude might make for a humorous scene."

"That's a wordy way to say you're clumsy," Prompto giggles, leaning on Noct with the volleyball tucked under one arm. 

"It's okay, Specs, you don't have to be cool all the time," the prince chimes in and shares an amused smirk with the blond next to him. "We've all got our weaknesses, eh, Prom?"

Prompto snorts and rolls his eyes. "Yeah, some more than others." He laughs and ducks away when Noct lunges for the volleyball. 

"I'm glad you all can enjoy my misfortunes," Ignis frowns, folding his arms across his chest. 

Gladio drapes an arms around his shoulders and pulls him close. The contact makes him stiffen, but he's determined to sulk. That is, until Gladio plants a kiss on top of his head. He's rather ashamed how easily that gets him to melt. 

"Let's keep playing, alright?" Gladio says, smiling dazzlingly at him.

"Certainly," Ignis murmurs, somewhat dazed. Damn. Gladio is far too skilled at breaking Ignis' guard down. 

Well, if there's anything he can take away from this little game, at least he'd gotten to hear Gladio's laughter. It's such a pleasant sound, hearty and loud. Sometimes Ignis wonders what he wouldn't do to be able to hear it more often. 

And that's the excuse he'll use this time, when the volleyball hits him directly in the face following Prompto's perfectly aimed spike.

Gladio is too good a distraction.

 

\--

 

"Are you sure you're okay?" Gladio asks in a concern-laced tone. Despite Ignis assuring him he could continue playing volleyball with the other two, Gladio had insisted on accompanying Ignis to get food. "And your glasses aren't damaged?"

"Thankfully, they're fine, as am I," Ignis sighs. "You said you weren't hungry, Gladio, you didn't have to come with me."

"Yeah, but I'd rather hang out with you than Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum." The larger man shrugs and grins when Ignis gives him a look. "We're at the  _ beach _ , Iggy. It's a  _ vacation _ . There's no point goin' by yourself." 

"I suppose you're right," Ignis concedes, a faint flush on his cheeks. 

Vacation. What a foreign thing. Not bad, necessarily. It's just something he'd never deigned to do, considering work at the Citadel kept him so busy, and taking care of Noct had always been his priority. 

Spending time with Gladio, though - shirtless, muscular, clothed in only swim trunks, and flaunting the fully healed, recently completed eagle tattoo encompassing his back and shoulders - sounds like a delectable prospect. Even moreso than the fresh artisan hot dog Ignis had purchased from the vendor near the entrance to the beach. He takes a sip of the drink he'd also bought, suddenly feeling rather parched.

"Gimme a sip," Gladio leans forward expectantly. Hesitating for a second, Ignis offers the drink to him, hyper aware of Gladio's lips around the straw he'd just been using. 

Ignis is actually somewhat expectant when he trips this time. He worries briefly for the food he had yet to eat as it sails out of his hand; but thankfully, Gladio's instincts seem to keep up with Ignis' missteps. As quickly as Ignis had started to fall, Gladio manages to catch the hot dog in one hand, using the other to pull Ignis against him and prevent him from falling. 

"You alright?" Gladio asks, voice close to Ignis' ear. It sends a shiver down his spine, and the press of Gladio's bare chest to his is enough to send his heart rate skyrocketing. 

"Fine," Ignis murmurs breathlessly. He exhales slowly as Gladio carefully sets him on his feet, and hands the hot dog back to him. "Astrals, what's gotten into me today? I'm not usually such a klutz."

"Maybe you caught a stroke of bad luck," Gladio suggests, laughing when Ignis frowns at him. "Relax, I'm not superstitious, either, Iggy. It's probably just one of those days. Don't let it get to ya."

Ignis purses his lips, but nods. "Of course." 

He doesn't protest when Gladio takes the drink from him and links their arms as they make their way back to their spot on the beach.

 

\--

 

The water is a pleasant temperature, having begun being warmed by the sun since the sky had cleared earlier. It's a refreshing change from the heat of the sand, washing over Ignis' skin in cooling waves. He wades out until the water is just above his waist, and lets out a contented sigh. 

"Feels good, doesn't it," Gladio comments from beside him. Ignis nods silently, a small smile on his lips. Feeling the wet sand between his toes, each sway of the water pushing and pulling him in a gentle dance... It's definitely soothing. Ignis finds himself wishing they lived closer to the beach. He wouldn't mind having easier access to such a relaxing sensation. 

"Wanna go for a swim?" 

Gladio's question draws him from his thoughts. "Not yet," he replies with a shake of his head, giving Gladio an amused grin. "But don't let me stop you."

Gladio shrugs. "Suit yourself." The Shield pats Ignis' shoulder before wading further out, stretching his limbs, and then disappearing under the waves. 

Ignis watches him, perhaps more attentively than he should. The taut pull of muscle with each stroke, the way his wet hair clings to his face (Ignis is quite glad the larger man had decided to grow his hair out), his deft movement through the water. It's a sight to behold, and Ignis bites his bottom lip, face warm as be feels desire well up in his chest. 

Gods be blessed, he really had gotten lucky when it came to Gladio, hadn't he. 

Releasing another slow, contented sigh, Ignis takes a step forward and relaxes into the water. From somewhere behind him, he hears the murmurs of Prompto and Noct in the shallower water, collecting rocks and shells. But Ignis is happy to watch Gladio swim, happy with his current position and situation. 

That is, until he realizes he'd lost track of his partner, and he scans the waves closely, missing the shadow underwater, approaching him slowly...

A gasp lodges in his throat when arms grab his waist and he's pulled into the water. The surprise quickly gives way to playful indignation, and he laughs and smacks Gladio's forehead when the larger man brings them both to the surface, beaming unabashedly at him. "Naughty," Ignis attempts to frown, clearly failing to look severe when it earns a boisterous laugh from the Shield. He relaxes in Gladio's arms, allowing Gladio to hold him afloat. After a moment, he reaches up and pushes Gladio's hair out of his face, slicking it back. 

"You seemed to be enjoying the view," Gladio comments, chuckling. "Thought you might like to be a part of it now." 

"You could have gone about it in a more mature manner," the advisor chastises, though he's unable to stop himself from smiling, "but you're correct. I believe I would like to join you." He feels Gladio walk the pair of them a bit further out, content to let himself be lead by the strong arms he adores. 

As if reading his mind, those arms lift him up now, supporting him under his own arms. Ignis expects that Gladio is readying to toss him into the water, but he's not quite ready to part. 

Instead, he manages to slide free from Gladio's grasp and falls, a bit ungracefully, onto Gladio, connecting their lips in an open-mouthed kiss. He latches his arms around Gladio's neck, tugging his partner as close as he can, and feels Gladio laugh into his mouth. 

When he draws back, Gladio is grinning at him, with one eyebrow raised. "What was that for?" he asks.

"I slipped," Ignis answers, sticking his tongue out. Gladio laughs again, the sound Ignis loves, and pulls Ignis closer again in another kiss.

 

\--

 

_ Training _ , Gladio had called it.  _ It'll be a great test of endurance _ . A challenge, he'd said. 

Ignis barely suppresses a groan as he takes yet another break, resting his aching legs. He knows he should have expected this, considering the sand dunes at this beach are infamous for the steep, tall climb. But no, he'd taken the bait when Gladio provoked him. 

_ Bet you can't make it to the top. _

Noct had been the first to give up, collapsing only a fourth of the way up. Prompto probably would have been fine to keep going, but he'd stayed behind with Noct, not wanting to leave the prince's company. Ignis himself is just passing the halfway point, and feeling the burn in his thighs from the awkward angle he'd been forced to walk in order to scale the dunes. 

But Gladio... Gladio seems completely unbothered by the climb, as energetic as ever while he waits for Ignis, always a couple feet in front of him. It's almost infuriating, the way he sits there, looking down at Ignis with his hands on his hips.

"Gonna call it quits?" he raises his voice to ensure Ignis hears the quip. Rolling his eyes, Ignis hauls himself to his feet and steels himself.

"Not on your life," he retorts, resuming the trek. Gladio's stunning smile catches him off guard, though, so bright and proud that for a second, Ignis forgets how to walk. 

Of course, to no one's surprise, his foot catches in the sand, and he feels himself slipping. He probably would have lost quite a bit of progress had he actually fallen, but, as he shuts his eyes tightly in preparation, he feels a strong hand grasp his own, keeping him upright. Slowly blinking his eyes open, he registers that Gladio had caught him again. 

"Damn, Iggy, you're slippery as hell today," Gladio chuckles, tugging Ignis forward into his arms. Flush paints Ignis' cheeks. "Can't take my eyes off you for one second, can I." 

"I... suppose not," Ignis breathes out. He's mostly just relieved he doesn't have to worry about what sort of chafing his skin would have endured, sliding over the expanse of sand he'd traversed thus far. Preferring not to think about it, he sheepishly adds, "Perhaps you should keep a, er, tight hold on me to prevent further mishaps...?"

Gladio's eyes shine as he laughs once more, shoulders shaking with unsuppressed mirth. "Sounds like a good plan to me," he murmurs, pressing a soft kiss to Ignis' temple. 

The remainder of the trek up the dunes passes by in a blur, Ignis really only registering the warmth of Gladio's fingers intertwined with his own. 

Once they reach the top, though, he realizes just how ragged his breathing had become, and he's more than glad to plop down next to Gladio, head resting on his shoulder. 

"You made it!" Gladio says, voice full of pride.

" _ We _ made it," Ignis clarifies, still thoroughly breathless. After a few seconds, he processes the view laid out below them, and suddenly he feels winded all over again. " _ Astrals _ , Gladio, it's beautiful up here."

"Ain't it?" His partner shifts, wrapping an arm around him. "Told you the climb'd be worth it."

_ It really is _ , Ignis thinks. The sky is a mesmerizing blue, painted with cumulus clouds. The water sparkles and seems to glow, a deep blue-green that makes Ignis' heart race. Everything on the beach is tiny from this height, putting it all into perspective. 

Without thinking, Ignis reaches for Gladio's hand to lace their fingers together once more. He nuzzles a bit closer, feels the rumble of Gladio's chuckle deep in his chest. Ignis tilts his head up, nose brushing Gladio's beard as be seeks Gladio's lips. A soft, happy sigh leaves him when his partner meets him halfway, kissing him tenderly. 

"What was that for?" Gladio repeats his question from earlier, playful smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. Ignis eagerly kisses him there.

With a light laugh, he repeats his answer. "I slipped."


	6. Denial

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> day 6:  
> of pursuing happiness

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i can't believe this is my first time writing 30s gladnis? i guess i usually tend to stick with the younger eras lol  
> this takes place post alternate ending in episode ignis (because imo that's the true ending <3)

Adding the finishing touches to his report for the day, Ignis exhales slowly, takes his glasses off and massages the bridge of his nose, eyes closed. Good progress had been made with regard to the reparation of Insomnia in the past week alone, so there had been no shortage of details to include in the written catalogue of what Ignis and his team had accomplished. The King would no doubt be pleased upon delivery of the report.

A knock sounds at the door to Ignis' makeshift office - one of the rooms they'd managed to salvage with relative ease. He looks up, and smiles when he recognizes the exuberant face of the figure standing in the doorway.

"Prompto," he greets, replacing his glasses, "I had forgotten you would be stopping by. You're early, so I presume Aranea dropped you off?"

"Yeah, 'bout a half hour ago," Prompto confirms. He gives Ignis a lazy salute and grins. "Just got done giving Noct the update on what's been going on around Lestallum. I was originally gonna hitch a ride with Iris, but she decided to stay a little longer to help with a couple things. Got lucky that Aranea happened to be passing by, and she offered to take me here."

"How kind of her. She's always had a soft spot for you, it seems," Ignis chuckles. "Are you staying for long? Our king has been... a bit of a handful since you left last week."

Prompto looks a little sheepish, blush dusting his cheeks. "Uh... So I've heard. And... I was thinkin' I could hang around for a little while, see if anything needs fixing up around here." Rubbing the back of his neck, he gestures toward Ignis' desk where he'd just finished sorting his documents for the weekly report. "You getting ready to hand that over?"

Ignis quirks one eyebrow at him, suppressing a smirk. "Yes, as a matter of fact. Something tells me that's why you decided to pop in."

The blond holds his hands up in defeat, letting out a light laugh. "Caught red-handed. Me and Noct made plans for dinner."

"And the sooner I give him my report, the sooner the two of you can rendezvous?" With a shake of his head and a chuckle, Ignis stands and collects his things, moving to join Prompto at the doorway. "I'd better hurry, then, shouldn't I."

"You're the best, Iggy," Prompto claps him on the shoulder and flashes a grateful smile. "I'll be around tomorrow, so let's catch up then, alright?"

The elder man nods his approval. "A sound plan. Until then, Prompto. I bid you a wonderful evening with his Majesty."

Prompto blushes while he sees Ignis off to the end of the hall, waving before returning the direction he'd come.

Ignis travels the rest of the way to the King's quarters on his own - that is, until he's just outside the door. Another familiar face appears before him now, one he'd been attempting to avoid.

"Ah," he murmurs, stiffening involuntarily. He tries to ignore the fluttering in his chest, the stuttering of his heart. "... Evening, Gladio."

The greeting is casual enough that it puts a small grin on the other's face, which Ignis curses inwardly. "Good to see ya, Iggy." The smile falters when he hastily amends, "Er, Ignis."

Before he can catch himself, Ignis tells him, "The nickname is fine." And Gladio's smile is back, shooting straight to Ignis' pathetic heart.

Gods, when was the last time he saw that smile in person? Sure, Prompto had shown him pictures from when he and Gladio had worked together to deal with some particularly troublesome pests infesting the area surrounding Hammerhead, but... Ignis' own interactions with the King's Shield had been few and far between, relegated mostly to meetings of formal purpose.

He would never admit aloud that he was consciously making an effort to avoid Gladio, especially not if asked. Thankfully no one had, but it still makes him nervous to be suddenly faced with the man himself, without any time to prepare.

"Iggy?" Gladio's voice startles him out of his thoughts, and he shakes his head to clear it, giving the larger man his attention. "You headin' in?"

"Indeed." He opens the door and strides in, hearing the sound of it closing as Gladio follows him inside.

Noct looks up from where he'd clearly been about to doze off, head resting on his desk. He hurries to make himself proper, and Ignis can't withhold a fond smile as he waits for the King to address them. "Report."

Ignis hands the folder he'd compiled to Noct, and goes briefly goes over the contents while the King listens and nods. Once finished, Gladio does much the same. Ignis has little choice but to stand and listen as well. The information is important, and he does his best to follow along, but it's easy to lose himself in the sound of Gladio's voice. Even now, it fills Ignis with indescribable warmth, so familiar, so... _him_.

Ignis shuts his eyes tightly and takes deep breaths. _Enough_. He can't let himself get carried away.

"Thanks for your hard work, you two. As always," Noct addresses both of them when Gladio finishes. "I look forward to further updates."

"Of course," Ignis bows his head.

Having been dismissed, Gladio is first to leave. Ignis can feel Noct's eyes on him as he makes for the door. "Ignis." At the sound of his name, Ignis stops, but doesn't turn around.

There's something in Noct's tone that sends a shiver down his spine, something that gives him an idea of what the King might be planning to bring up.

With a sigh, Ignis reluctantly returns to his place before the King, meeting Noct's gaze. "Yes... Your Majesty?"

Noct observes him for a long moment without saying anything. His gaze is calm, quizzical, and makes Ignis shift uncomfortably on his feet as waits for the King to continue.

Finally, Noct speaks. "Ignis, how long are you gonna deny yourself what you want?"

Yes, it is exactly as Ignis expected. Even still, the question makes his skin prickle, and he averts his eyes to the floor, unable to handle Noct's knowing gaze.

"I can't possibly fathom what you mean," he responds stiffly.

At that, the King rolls his eyes, the expression exhasperated but affectionate. "Hasn't it been long enough? You guys have been through so much. And now, there's nothing left standing in your way, apart from your own steadfast stubborness to keep avoiding the thing that could make you happy."

Ignis' heart decides now is a good time to beat erratically, erasing any hope he'd had of remaining detached. "I..." Curse his voice for betraying emotion. "I don't..."

It would make him happy, wouldn't it. But that's precisely why he's tried so hard not to let it happen.

"... I've already asked for too much, Noct." Ignis lifts his gaze to meet the King's, hates the way the words sound on his tongue. Weak. Vulnerable. "There is light in the world. We have survived. _You_ have survived." _It is more than I deserve_ , he thinks, but can't find the courage to say.

Noct remains silent for another brief while, eyes searching Ignis' face. After a few more seconds, a soft smile spreads across his own face. "I know. I know what you're thinking, and I know your rationale. But Ignis, it's okay. You're not tied down by my fate anymore." He rises from his seat and walks around the desk to stand before Ignis, planting a gentle hand on Ignis' shoulder. "None of us are."

Clenching his jaw, Ignis does his best not to crumble. "That's..." He can't find the words. No explanation feels like enough.

Noct goes on when he stays quiet. "You deserve to be happy, Ignis. You and Gladio both do. Let yourself move on, from the past to the present. At the very least, try. Not for me, but for yourself."

How can he make it sound so easy? Nothing could be farther from, yet Noct is telling him to... simply go for it? After years and years of forcing his feelings down, Ignis can't even begin to imagine what that would mean, what it would entail.

His life had always been devoted to Noctis. From the day he accepted that duty, he put his all into ensuring Noct would be able to fulfill his calling, and more than that, that Noct would live to be the King he was always meant to be. Here they stand, proof that his efforts hadn't been in vain.

And yet, he still can't bring himself to accept the notion that... that he now has the freedom to pursue his own desires. It feels too foreign, too surreal. He'd never once thought that maybe, just maybe, he could be capable of actually realizing the feelings buried deep in his heart. The ones that threaten to spill out every time he sees the familiar scars, hears the deep voice that had always supported him.

He'd tried so desperately to keep his distance, moreso when the world was plunged into darkness. It felt wrong to indulge in that kindness. Why should he have had the privilege of comfort and love when the whole of Eos was in turmoil?

Now, though...

He can't deny that what Noct says rings true. The prophecy is a thing of the past. The world is recovering, a bright future restored. And Noct... Noct is here, as well.

Would it be fair, to give himself a chance? To reach out after so long, after he'd spent so much time closed off-?

"Stop overthinking," Noct's voice interrupts his thoughts, accompanied by a light tap to his forehead. "Not everything has to be about logic and planning, Specs." The use of the old nickname catches Ignis by surprise and his eyes widen. "Look, if me and Prom can do it, so can you. I mean it. Just... listen to your heart for once in your life."

_Listen to his heart...?_

It sounds like the kind of advice one would give to a child. Naïve, yet... There is so much more to it.

What does his heart desire?

He already knows. He's known for a long time now.

Perhaps Noct is right. Perhaps he should throw common sense out the window and do what he should have done all those years ago.

A fire lights underneath Ignis' skin, burning fiercely with a determination Ignis didn't know himself capable of. If he is to act, it must be now.

"Thank you, Noct," he murmurs, suddenly feeling breathless. "I... I should-"

"Go," Noct chuckles and retracts his hand. "He probably hasn't made it very far."

With a short nod, Ignis quickly flees the room.

His heart is hammering as he hurries down the hall, searching for the familiar figure. Where would he have gone after giving Noct his report? Provided he had no other obligations...

"The elevator," Ignis says aloud. He immediately heads that way.

Maybe it's the adrenaline of such a snap decision, or maybe Ignis had been more affected by Noct's encouragement than he originally thought - either way, when he catches sight of Gladio's back as he's getting on the elevator, he does the only thing he can think of. He grabs Gladio by the back of his jacket and tugs.

Which, in hindsight, was a horrible idea, really, but he doesn't have any time to reconsider because Gladio, completely caught off guard, is toppling backward, the both of them collapsing into a heap.

"I-Iggy!" Gladio hastily extricates himself and pulls Ignis to his feet. His large hand is warm, and Ignis holds tightly as the Shield starts to let go, which causes Gladio's eyes to widen significantly. "... Iggy?"

Now that the man is in front of him, Ignis is hit by a wave of uncertainty and apprehension. Is this the right thing to do? Does he really deserve to be with such a beautiful person?

He shakes his head, shoving those thoughts aside. Noct said not to overthink.

He's allowed to pursue happiness. He's allowed to feel.

What truly surprises him is that he believes it this time.

"Gladio, I..." He clears his throat to buy time, searching for the words to express what he wants to say. "I..."

Words are much too difficult. It's a bit unfair, really. Ignis is usually so eloquent, but he has no experience divulging his feelings. Still, he has to try.

"Iggy, are you okay?" Gladio asks softly. Ignis starts when he feels a gentle thumb brush his cheek. There's... He's... crying? Why? He hadn't even noticed the tears forming.

The concern on Gladio's face makes his chest ache. He lets out a shaky laugh. No, this time he won't berate himself for his show of weakness.

If the words won't find him, he will have to trust actions to express what's in his heart.

Taking a deep breath, Ignis reaches up, finds as tight a hold on Gladio's jacket as he can, and pulls the Shield into a fierce kiss. Gladio gasps into his mouth, evidently completely astonished. Before long, though, he's wrapping his arms around Ignis, crushing Ignis to his chest and kissing back with emotions stronger than Ignis feels worthy to receive.

He tells himself he is as he pours his soul into the kiss, hopes his feelings will reach Gladio.

When they break apart, Ignis is panting heavily, and he lets his head drop against Gladio's chest as he tries to catch his breath. His heart is racing, thrumming with unspoken excitement and affection.

A few moments pass before Ignis feels the rumble of a soft laugh. "I've been waitin' for ya." Ignis lifts his head, mouth open to apologize, but Gladio is quick to stop him, a gentle kiss pressed to his lips. "No apologies, Iggy. I wanted to wait. You were figuring things out. 'Sides, you know I'd never force you before you were ready."

Ignis swallows thickly. Even through all the avoidance, the attempts to put distance between them... Astrals, Gladio really is too good.

"I..." Ignis lets out a slow exhale, willing away tears. "I am ready, Gladio. I'm done denying myself this. Please allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you." Gladio's eyes go round with surprise, bright red staining his face as he gazes down at Ignis. "I have pushed down my feelings for far too long. Believe me when I say that you are truly the best man I have ever known. I am honored to be the one to whom you would bestow your affections."

"... Wow," Gladio mumbles. "I... didn't expect ya to... Jeez. This..." He trails off, an eager laugh bubbling over his lips. "Damn, Iggy, I was planning to say it first, but you totally blew me out of the water."

"To be fair, it was long overdue," Ignis says. He bites his bottom lip, flustered to have finally been honest. "... Thank you, Gladio. I know I have not been... the most agreeable. I cannot express how grateful I am that you-"

"Enough of that!" Gladio interrupts, laughing. "You're you, Iggy! That's always been why I care about ya, and I wouldn't change a thing about you." He leans in and presses a kiss to Ignis' forehead. "I love you. Always have, always will."

Warmth blooms in Ignis' chest as he gazes at Gladio. There are so many things he still wants to say, but for now, he wants to bask in this warmth, accepting Gladio's love, and finally accepting his own.


	7. show me, teach me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> day 7 (free day):  
> of first kisses

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is a joint promptis-gladnis fic written for my twin, who came up with the idea <3 plus i'm a sucker for the "show me how to kiss" type ideas haha  
> i decided to save this for the free day since i wasn't sure how else to work it into the other prompts.  
> thanks so much for sticking with me through this beautiful week! if you read all 7 of my fics, i owe you my soul lmao (but for real, thank you, i'm really glad i got to be a part of this;;)

"Hey, Prom," Noct says from his seat on the couch beside Prompto, "Have you ever... kissed anyone before?"

In his defense, Prompto had been very invested in King's Knight when the question was posed, so he hopes his delay in response won't be taken the wrong way. 

What even would be the wrong way to take it? He's not sure, actually.

... Wait, what???

"H-huh?" is all he can manage to utter, nearly dropping his phone. He's not even fully sure he heard right. Maybe his mind had tricked him, or maybe he'd fallen asleep and is currently dreaming. 

"I was just wondering if..." Noct exhales a slow breath, aiming for nonchalance. Prompto recognizes the expression he's making as the one he usually wears when he's trying to act cooler than he feels. Which means Noct is nervous. Which, in turn, makes Prompto nervous. After pausing, Noct gestures vaguely with one hand and continues, "I dunno, it seems nice, doesn't it?"

"I-I guess," Prompto mutters. His heart rate is picking up. Ah, sweet palpitations, definitely the thing he needs right now. "I, uh... haven't tried it, so I wouldn't know." 

He's trying not get his hopes up, at least until Noct's next words. "Neither have I." 

Is Prompto allowed to be happy about that? Is that selfish and weird? Probably, but is that gonna stop him? Nope!

Why had he brought it up, though? 

Noct is quiet for a few moments after that. Prompto almost wonders if the subject had been dropped, but soon Noct is speaking again, hesitant but determined. "... Kinda wanna try it."

Holy shit. The way Prompto's heart skips a beat (more than a beat? Maybe like five beats), he wonders for a second if he's gonna pass out. 

Where is he going with this?? Is Prompto supposed to infer what he thinks he's supposed to infer?? 

That's it, he definitely must be dreaming. All the dying in Shovel Knight earlier must have knocked him out. Sure, they'd taken a break to get the dailies in King's Knight, but let's be real, he and Noct probably passed out on the couch, and this is just a very strange-

"Can we?"

Yeah, Prompto's heart definitely just stopped beating. He's about to die on Noct's couch. Noct is about to-  _ the Prince _ is about to have a corpse on his couch and then he'll have to call Ignis to help dispose of the body, and he'll probably be dumped in a river somewhere or maybe buried, or if he's lucky they'll cremate him and his ashes will be cast into the wind, never to be found-

"Prom?" Noct is gazing at him, quite evidently nervous now. Oh, shit, Prompto is just sitting there gaping like an idiot. Dream or not, Noct deserves an answer. 

And who is Prompto to deny him anything? Noct could straight up murder him and Prompto would thank him. Which, now that he thinks about it, is kinda what just happened, all things considered. 

Letting out a sheepish laugh, Prompto attempts to compose himself and shifts to sit a little closer to Noct. "If you want to, we could, uh... Y'know, give it a try." He cringes a bit, worrying that he'd sounded too eager. 

To his relief, though, a small smirk tugs at the corners of Noct's mouth. Another habit to disguise his nerves, but in this context, Prompto gets the feeling that he's... excited? Or maybe he's just projecting, who knows.

And in the next second, any other thought he would have had is brought to a screeching halt when Noct moves to straddle him, effectively pinning him to the couch. 

This... is really happening, isn't it. Noct had asked if they could kiss, and Prompto had said yes, and holy shit, he's about to have his first kiss with Noct? And this is Noct's first kiss, too, right? Or does it not count if it's technically just trying it out? 

The logistics of kissing can wait, frankly. With the way Noct is looking at him, it's a wonder his mind could formulate further thought, let alone anything at all. That's definitely desire in his eyes, or at least,  _ Astrals _ , Prompto really hopes it is. 

There's a faint blush on Noct's cheeks as he leans closer. His breath ghosts Prompto's skin as the tips of their noses touch, and a shudder runs down Prompto's spine.  

"Is this okay...?" Noct asks quietly. Oh, his voice is definitely husky. Prompto's never heard husky before, but he can't think of any other word that would describe the sound of Noct's voice, or the way it makes his whole body prickle with anticipation. 

Not trusting himself to speak, he hums his affirmation. 

Please, whichever god is listening, either lend him the strength to get through this or just smite him right now! Whichever works!

It feels like time slows down, the seconds seeming to stretch out as Prompto waits with bated breath. Painstakingly, Noct inches closer, closer, closer...

And then,  _ finally _ , he feels the touch of Noct's chapped lips against his own. It almost seems to send a spark through him, giving a shock to his system like a hard reset. His eyes involuntarily flutter closed. Maybe it was better that Noct went slow, because Prompto definitely thinks had he been the one to initiate, he probably would have been way too eager and knocked their teeth together by accident.

How is kissing supposed to go? All Prompto knows is what he's seen in movies and read in manga, but he has no idea how to apply that knowledge in real life. A shift of lips here, tilt of his head there to see if the angle is better. It's awkward, honestly, but there's something enticing about it, about the feeling of Noct's mouth pressed to his. 

Without thinking, he reaches up, finding hold on the lapels of Noct's uniform blazer.

It's definitely intimate, more intimate than Prompto thought he'd ever be with anybody, let alone his best friend and longtime crush. Despite their obvious inexperience, Prompto finds himself thinking this feels  _ amazing _ . Noct is so warm and soft, the weight of his body on Prompto's contributing to the thrum of pleasure spreading through him. 

It's when Prompto starts to get light headed that he realizes he's been forgetting to breathe. He's  not the only one, though, because Noct is pulling away a second later and letting out a breathless exhale. When Prompto blinks his eyes open, he swallows hard at the the sight that greets him. Noct is quite red in the face, the color flatteringly adorable accompanied by the dazed expression he's wearing. His eyes are darkened with - yeah, that's definitely desire, Prompto is certain this time. He looks so damn attractive that Prompto has to take a moment to collect himself, silently thanking every Astral for the chance to see such a sight. 

"That..." Prompto finds his voice, surprised he can talk at all, "... was really something, huh." Alright, maybe not the glowing praise it actually deserved, but he's trying not to sound too much like an idiot in love. 

Maybe that's what he sounded like anyway because Noct is letting out an affectionate laugh, leaning forward to rest his head on Prompto's shoulder. "Yeah," is all he says, but that word alone is enough to make Prompto's entire face heat up, the sensation spreading to the tips of his ears as well. 

Thinking be damned, Prompto plants his hands on Noct's hips. The touch startles Noct, who abruptly lifts his head to meet Prompto's gaze. Whatever he sees in Prompto's eyes makes him gulp, and after a second, he's draping his arms around Prompto's neck, closing any distance between them.

"Let's do that again," Prompto mumbles. He'd meant for it to be a request, a polite suggestion, but the statement comes out more like a demand. But Noct doesn't seem to mind, as he grins and comes even closer. 

"Sounds good to me. I think we've got plenty of... things to try."

Prompto can't even pretend that implication doesn't make his heart go haywire. 

This is really happening. 

He has literally zero complaints as Noct kisses him again. Maybe he's a little too compliant to open his mouth when he feels Noct's tongue lick at his bottom lip, but who could blame him, right? What Noct wants, Noct gets. 

 

\--

 

_ Ignis expected a lot more noise when he arrived to Noct's apartment. What greeted him was uncanny silence. Which itself wasn't all too strange, considering the prince's napping habit, but Ignis recalled his discussion with Noct earlier. The prince had agreed to finish his homework and go over the report Ignis gave him that morning, in turn saving the gaming with Prompto for later.  _

_ So yes, the silence was odd this time. Ignis thought the two teens would have started playing games by the time he got there. Maybe the work had tired them out, he reasoned, and they had fallen asleep on the couch, their usual perch.  _

_ As he passed the entryway, though, he realized his assumption had been wrong. They were currently occupying the couch, that much was true. However, and though the TV was on and an abandoned game showed onscreen, it clearly wasn't the source of the distraction. _

 

"Distraction?" Gladio interrupts, brows raised. "So they clearly weren't working, then."

Ignis lets out a sigh and takes a sip of the Ebony he'd been drinking, realizing belatedly that the can is empty. He sighs again. "Correct. Shall I tell you what they were doing?"

"I kinda have an idea, I think," the Shield stifles a laugh. 

The bespectacled man rests his elbows on the table and settles his chin atop his hands, fingers laced together. "Not only did Noct not do his work, including reviewing the documents I gave him this morning, but he and Prompto spent the entire afternoon  _ kissing _ . The  _ entire _ afternoon, Gladio. It's already evening, and those two did nothing but... exchange saliva." 

In spite of himself, Gladio can't suppress an amused snort. Ignis shoots him a withering look, to which he responds with an apologetic grin. "Yeah, that doesn't surprise me," he shrugs.

"Really?" Ignis makes a face and shifts to fold his arms across his chest, defiant. "You do realize that is a several hour timespan, Gladio." The Shield shrugs again, which earns another sigh from Ignis. "I can't say I'm not glad for them finally realizing their painfully obvious feelings for one another, but it doesn't mean they should shirk all responsibility like that. It's completely irresponsible."

"Can you blame 'em?" One of Gladio's brows quirks up in a challenge, but Ignis just purses his lips. "So, considering you're here havin' dinner with me instead of at Noct's, I take it you got mad and left?

Ignis blushes faintly. "I didn't get  _ mad _ , Gladio. I was... justifiably frustrated. Miffed, if you will." He ignores the smirk on Gladio's face. "I told Noct to order delivery. And then I came here with my groceries to make dinner for you instead. Don't tell me you would have preferred I didn't come?"

Gladio laughs. "Not at all! That... sounds just like you, Iggy. Thanks again for the meal. Shame Noct missed out 'cause he was too busy suckin' face with Blondie."

Ignis rolls his eyes at the crass word choice. "I'm certain they were more than eager to see me leave. Really, though, I may not have any experience with it myself, but I can't imagine such an act would be enough to occupy oneself for that long."

"Y'mean kissing?" Now Gladio's eyes widen. "Wait, you've never kissed anybody?" 

"Why would I?" Ignis asks with an affronted frown. "It's not as though I'm currently in a relationship."

For some reason, this bit of information seems to grab Gladio's attention. He gazes at Ignis somewhat intensely, to the point that Ignis grows somewhat uncomfortable. It reminds him of the part of his story he'd chosen not to divulge, where Noct had teasingly told Ignis,  _ Don't knock it til you try it. I'm sure Gladio'd be more than willing. _

Embarrassing. 

To infer not only that Ignis has no experience, but to even bring his pathetic crush on his friend into the mix... Wholly unnecessary, and, if he were entirely truthful, that might have been a more accurate reason as to why he abruptly left.

As if Ignis would ever do something so frivolous-

"If you want, I could show ya." Gladio's voice halts his thought in an instant. 

"... What was that?" Ignis says stiffly, despite having perfectly heard the other. His heart races when he notices a hint of pink coloring Gladio's cheeks. 

There's no way that Gladio could have known what he was thinking, nor what Noct had said. So why...?

"If you wanna see what the fuss is about, I, uh..." Faltering for a second, Gladio rubs the back of his neck with one hand, sheepishly averting his gaze. "I wouldn't mind showin' you."

Ignis takes a few steadying breaths, willing himself to stay calm. This is entering the realm of absolutely unbelievable. "Are you... suggesting that we should...  _ attempt kissing _ ?" There are few other ways to interpret Gladio's remark, but Ignis definitely doesn't want to get ahead of himself here. 

And even if such were the case, he would simply be offering because Ignis is pitiful for his lack of experience, or at the very least annoying for whining about something he's never tried. More likely is the possibility of this being a joke, playful teasing meant to poke fun at Ignis for having never kissed before. 

That thought is quickly banished when Gladio's expression turns serious, sending a shiver through Ignis' body the longer he holds Gladio's gaze. "I'm not gonna act like I'm an expert. I know what I'm doing, though. I bet I could give you an idea of what got Princess and Blondie so hot an' bothered."

Unsure of how to react, Ignis simply stares at Gladio for a time. Perhaps if he waits long enough, the Shield will come clean and laugh it off - but Gladio stays quiet, patiently waiting for Ignis' response.

Good heavens, he has to respond, doesn't he. 

He can't say he isn't curious. And the idea of Gladio being the one to show him makes his heart flutter with anticipation. Rationality says that he should politely decline; the part of him that is ridiculously enamored with Gladio, though, speaks over it with ease.

"If... you are not opposed to the idea," he murmurs, thankful his voice hadn't shaken, "I admit that I would be much obliged."

This seems to be all the confirmation Gladio needed because in the next second, he gets up from his chair and moves to sit beside Ignis. His expression is still quite serious, determined, even, and Ignis suddenly feels the trepidation of what he just agreed to. 

Unable to keep quiet, he tries to figure out what he should do in preparation as he turns to face Gladio. "How do you want me?" he blurts, realizing only too late the implication of such phrasing. Bright blush colors his cheeks, and Gladio stares at him for a few seconds before a breathy chuckle escapes the Shield. To Ignis' relief, Gladio is blushing as well.

"For starters, try not to be so stiff. Kissing's s'posed to feel good. Relax, Iggy, I'm not gonna hurt ya." Gladio presses his large hands against Ignis' shoulders, the touch warm and comforting. Ignis tries to comply, does his best to slacken his posture.

When Gladio is satisfied, he retracts his hands and shifts to bring his chair closer to Ignis' until their knees are touching. Ignis waits, breath hitching as Gladio leans in. Presently, Gladio settles his hands on Ignis' waist, the touch sending a tremor of excitement through him. 

"What... er, what should I do with my hands?" Ignis asks. His voice surprises him, as it comes out uncharacteristically breathy.

With a small grin, Gladio replies, "Wherever feels natural. Go ahead an' try it out."

The answer is less than satisfactory, but Ignis has little room to argue. Thinking back to fictional displays of romance he'd seen, Ignis decides to latch onto the front of Gladio's hoodie. A wise choice, he might add, considering he feels rather unsteady when Gladio leans even closer. 

"You're doin' great," Gladio says. He smells faintly of the beer he'd had while they dined, mixed with the alluring scent of the cologne he usually wears. 

Ignis would be lying if he said he didn't feel lightheaded, the prospect of what they're about to do making his skin prickle. He does his best to ground himself, though, focusing on the warmth of Gladio's hands on his waist. They slide a little lower, to his hips, and a shudder runs down his spine.

This can't be good for his heart.

After what feels like an eternity, Gladio is close enough that the tips of their noses brush. Ignis inhales sharply, grip loosening, until warmth touches his lips, and, oh.

_ Oh _ .

What a sensation. 

"Follow my lead," Gladio murmurs against his lips. He tries as best he can, hyper focused on the way Gladio's mouth feels on his, and hopes that he can mimic it in a pleasurable way. Fingers tightening on the fabric of Gladio's hoodie, he gingerly tugs Gladio as close as possible, a jolt shooting through him when Gladio hums contentedly.

For the next while, Ignis gives Gladio his full attention. He refuses to give up until he's gotten the hang of this, ever eager to let Gladio show him what can be done with a single kiss. 

When Gladio's tongue gets involved, though, Ignis thinks he sees stars for a second. He's compliant to let Gladio explore his mouth, trembling with each lick, each touch of their tongues. 

He would have thought such a thing would be unappealing, and indecent to say the least. However, Gladio certainly wasn't exaggerating when he said he knew what he was doing. The fact that he can make french kissing so enjoyable is testament to that. 

Or who knows, maybe Ignis had the wrong idea from the beginning. He's not about to be obstinate, not when Gladio had moved one hand to cup the back of his head and gently tilt him to allow for a better angle. 

He's actually quite reluctant when Gladio start to pull back, immediately chasing Gladio's lips, but the Shield stops him, laughing breathlessly. "C'mon, Iggy, y'gotta take a break to catch your breath."

Ah, so that's why he'd started to feel a bit ragged. Still hesitant, but understanding the importance of it, Ignis sits back and tries to allow air back into his lungs, eyes closed. When he reopens them, he finds Gladio watching him, a dazed affectionate look on his face. His cheeks are rosy, a flattering color on him, indeed.

"Y'know, it's..." Gladio lets out a dreamy sigh. "Kissing has never felt like that before."

Ignis' heart skips a beat. That statement could have more than one meaning, but his mind instantly jumps to the negative. "... Was I that bad?"

Catching himself, Gladio winces and hastily shakes his head, the blush on his cheeks growing more vivid. "That's not- I didn't mean it like that, Iggy!" He bites his bottom lip and gives Ignis an apologetic look. "You were really good. It's just... I shouldn't have taken advantage of you like that. I'm sorry."

Ignis' heart skips a beat. "What's that supposed to mean...?" he inquires quietly, brows furrowed.

Gladio is silent for a moment, appearing sheepish. He averts his eyes toward his lap, knocks their knees together. "It was a selfish request, askin' you to do this. I got too excited hearing that you never had a kiss before, so I thought... I just... I wanted to be the first one. To kiss you, I mean. That is. I wanted to be your first kiss." He cringes again. "Sorry. It sounds worse sayin' it out loud."

Ignis isn't sure what to say. His heart is racing now, his chest is tight, his face is intolerably warm, and all he can think is that somehow, he'd been incredibly blessed this evening.

"... You needn't apologize," he murmurs, cupping Gladio's chin to tilt his head and look into his eyes. "I wouldn't have wanted it to be with anyone else." Surprise flashes across Gladio features. 

"Y'mean... You're okay with it?" he asks and reaches up to take Ignis' hand. "You're not mad?"

"Most certainly not," Ignis lets out a soft laugh. "To be frank, I think I may just come to understand why Noct and Prompto were so enraptured. Though... to be conclusive, I believe I need more data."

That brings a wide grin to Gladio's lips, the sight making Ignis' chest swell. 

"We'd better experiment, then, shouldn't we," Gladio says, quick to wrap his arms around Ignis and pull him close again. 

Ignis concludes, later that night, that kissing is, actually, a very pleasant way to spend time. Especially with Gladio. Or, perhaps more accurately,  _ only _ with Gladio.


End file.
